The Hindu : PM unfazed by VHP attack

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 20, 2002

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National

PM unfazed by VHP attack

By Harish Khare

New Delhi Oct. 19. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, is reported to have taken in his stride the attacks on his principal official adviser, Brajesh Mishra, from two leading functionaries of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Kya faark partha hai (it makes no difference),'' Mr. Vajpayee is believed to have told an aide. Mr. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, himself is unfazed, and the BJP, too, was quick to dismiss the VHP's "indictment".

In the last few days, the VHP leaders, Ashok Singhal and Acharya Giriraj Kishore, have been critical of Mr. Mishra, accusing him of being "incompetent'' and "pushing India into the lap of America''. A few weeks ago, Mr. Singhal was reported to have made comments critical of the Prime Minister, though later the VHP leader denied having made the statement attributed to him.

But the latest attack on Mr. Mishra is not being written off as an innocuous development. The minimalist interpretation is that by attacking Mr. Mishra, the VHP is trying to wriggle out of its high-pitched demands like direct action against Pakistan (in the wake of the Akshardham incident) and concession on the Ayodhya impasse. After the Vajpayee Government's decision to withdraw troops from the international border and the general signalling of the lowering of tensions, the VHP leaders have the unenviable task of having to climb down from the anti-Pakistan (and, subtly, anti-Muslim) rhetorical height.

The attack on Mr. Mishra, hence, could help divert the VHP cadres' attention to a new object of anger. But there are not many takers for this interpretation. It is pointed out that only a few days ago the RSS chief, K.S. Sundershan, had adopted a similar tactic of couching his criticism of the Vajpayee Government by directing his indictment against an official (N.K. Singh, a member of the Planning Commission). Later, this criticism turned out to be the beginning of a full-fledged attack on the Government's disinvestment strategy. This RSS attack had its political ramifications within the BJP and the cabinet.

On the other hand, the attack on Mr. Mishra could be part of yet another attempt from with the BJP/Sangh Parivar to dilute the authority of the Prime Minister's Office. There is a renewed talk of bifurcating the posts of the Principal Secretary to the prime minister and the national security adviser, both currently being held by Mr. Mishra. This has been the opening gambit in the war from within against Mr. Vajpayee.

The latest attack on Mr. Mishra can also be a sign that the present ceasefire in the Vajpayee-Lal Kishen Advani stand-off is about to come unstuck. According to a source close to Mr. Vajpayee, the VHP attack has to be understood in the context of a section of the Sangh Parivar's frustration that Mr. Vajpayee has not yet been sent out of office. This section had reportedly fixed September 30 as the cutoff date for Mr. Vajpayee to announce his "vaanprastha '' (retirement plans).

That date has come and gone, but the Prime Minister is still there. And, his health seems to be better. Hence, a new round of a proxy war, says the source.

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