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CAS: BJP awaiting PM's return

By Anita Joshua

NEW DELHI JUNE 24. Despite considerable unease within the party over the political consequences of the Conditional Access System (CAS), the BJP appears to have decided to hold its fire on the issue till the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, returns from China.

An indication to this effect was given by the Delhi BJP president, Madan Lal Khurana, who today maintained that the party — even the local unit — would firm up its stand on CAS after the Prime Minister's return. Only on Monday, Mr. Khurana had demanded postponement of CAS till all apprehensions about the new regime in cable television were settled.

Unlike on Monday, when he indicated at a press conference that the party leadership had hinted at postponement of CAS — at least in Delhi where elections are scheduled later this year — Mr. Khurana was today non-committal after a meeting with the BJP president, Venkaiah Naidu, along with the general-secretary in-charge of elections, Pramod Mahajan.

Though Mr. Khurana was reluctant to divulge details on what transpired over CAS at the meeting, he quoted Mr. Naidu as saying that cable television would have to be either cheaper or else maintain the current pricing levels after July 15, when Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are scheduled to switch over to the new regime.

Meanwhile, it was all quiet at the Information and Broadcasting Ministry with officials preferring to play the wait-and-watch game for the broadcasters to make their next move. Though of the view that the broadcasters ought to be allowed to work out their differences away from media glare, officials said spadework was being done to provide for coercive measures, should the stake-holders refuse to fall in line by July 15.

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