The Hindu : BJP more than pleased with AIADMK's stance

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 31, 2003

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National

BJP more than pleased with AIADMK's stance

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 30. The Bharatiya Janata Party today is more than pleased with the support of the AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, for two important points in its Hindutva agenda — a Ram temple in Ayodhya and a uniform civil code for all Indians irrespective of their religious faith.

``We welcome the statements of Ms. Jayalalithaa on the Ram temple and a uniform civil code,'' the BJP spokesperson, V.K. Malhotra, said today. He felt that if only other parties, especially those of the Opposition, were so reasonable, the Vajpayee Government could think of legislation on these issues.

He said the Congress should clarify its stand on a uniform civil code, which, after all, was part of the directive principles in the Constitution. If only the Congress were to take a stand similar to that taken by the AIADMK the job of getting legislation passed on these issues would be made easy.

On the bomb blast in suburban Mumbai, the party warned the Congress — which is ruling the State in a coalition government — ``not to be soft''. The Ghatkopar blast was the fifth in a series. It seemed that a new ``local'' terrorist outfit had become active and this could have dangerous implications.

Suggesting that the Congress was not taking firm steps because of ``vote bank politics'', Mr. Malhotra said that these incidents ``could spoil the communal atmosphere.'' He did not want to say anything more as the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, L.K. Advani, would be making a statement in Parliament tomorrow.

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