The Hindu : National : JD(U) under pressure to sever ties with BJP

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Sunday, Aug 01, 2004

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National

JD(U) under pressure to sever ties with BJP

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, JULY 30. The Janata Dal (United) is under pressure to sever its ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party if the latter returns to its ``Hindutva'' ideology.

The decision, taken at the national executive meeting of the JD(U) here today, more or less signals the beginning of the party's parting of ways with the BJP and the weakening of the National Democratic Alliance. This has come at a time when the BJP's top leadership is seriously contemplating a return to ``Hindutva'' at the ``chintan baithak'' (introspection meet) in Goa.

The NDA convener and president of the JD(U), George Fernandes, presided over the meeting and heard out member after member pleading for the party to return to its roots of ``socialism and secularism'' and part company with the BJP. The meeting called for all socialists and like-minded people to rally together.

Pressure on leadership

Since the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha election, there has been pressure on the JD(U) leadership to go it alone in the coming Assembly elections in five States.

Today, the appeal was renewed with vigour from members from Jharkhand, Bihar and Karnataka. The meeting was attended by more than 200 members.

``You got the heritage of socialism from Ram Manohar and JP, what are you leaving behind for us?'' several youth leaders asked Mr. Fernandes.

A resolution moved by the former Minister, Digvijay Singh, and seconded by the former chairman of the Central Warehousing Corporation, K.C. Tyagi, said: ``The Janata Dal (United) is proud of its heritage whose roots are in the democratic socialist movement led by Narendra Dev, Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia — men, whose minds were influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's life and thoughts, in which there was no room for religious bigotry and secularism was a way of life. This heritage will be our guiding light.''

Participants blamed the election debacle to the tie-up with the BJP in States such as Bihar and Karnataka. Many of them clearly blamed it on the communal violence in Gujarat and said they lost the Muslim vote because it was perceived that voting for them meant voting for a [``communal''] party like the BJP.

Economic policies

The meeting deplored some of the economic policies of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government, emergence of two power centres in the UPA, the issue of ``tainted'' Ministers, the move by the Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, to strike at the ``federal polity'' by depriving neighbouring States of water. Tomorrow, it will debate the issue of corruption and organisational matters.

Besides Mr. Singh and Mr. Tyagi, the meeting was attended by the JD(U) leaders, Sharad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Jagannath Mishra, the Yuva Janata Dal(U) president, Govind Yadav and State presidents and office-bearers.

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