The Hindu : Only sensible option: Cong.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2003

National

National

Only sensible option: Cong.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 14. The Government's decision against sending troops to Iraq to assist the U.S. in the "stabilisation'' process today drew all-round support with the Congress describing it as a vindication of the party's stance, and the BJP maintaining that it came as no surprise.

The Congress said that besides taking a firm stand against sending troops, the party president, Sonia Gandhi, had followed it up with a letter to the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Reacting to the decision at the party's routine briefing, the chief spokesman, S. Jaipal Reddy, said "this was the only sensible option under the circumstances''. Further, he said, the Congress position remained that Indian troops could not serve under any force other than the U.N.

The BJP president, Venkaiah Naidu, said the party had always maintained that there was no question of Indian forces serving under the U.S. command. In an informal chat with reporters, he said the party was confident of the Government taking a decision in the national interest. Such being the case, he added, the decision came as no surprise.

Of the view that the Government had delayed the decision, the CPI(M) politburo member, S. Ramachandran Pillai, said it had been forced to submit to public pressure. Public opinion, he said, had always been against sending troops to Iraq, and it was the Government which was in two minds.

The CPI national secretary, D. Raja, said the Opposition had always taken a firm stand — first against the U.S./U.K. action and then the request for Indian troops — and it was the Government which had dithered in the name of national consensus. Finally, he said, the Government appears to have been influenced by the strong `anti-imperialist' public opinion and the unanimous resolution of Parliament against the military action on Iraq.

Echoing the Congress, Raghuvansh Prasad of the RJD said the Government's decision was a vindication of the party position.

"They have finally bowed to public pressure. The fact is that they wanted to send troops, but finally realised that it would be a big mistake, given the strong public opinion against such a move.''

The Lok Janshakti Party leader, Ram Vilas Paswan, said it would have been better if the Government had rejected the request at the outset itself.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National