Date:10/06/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/06/10/stories/2005061010810400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Naidu defends Advani remarks on Jinnah

Special Correspondent

Calls for improving relations with Pakistan

HYDERABAD: : The Telugu Desam president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Thursday came out in steadfast defence of the Bharatiya Janata Party leader, L. K. Advani's comments on Mohammed Ali Jinnah and emphasised on the need for political parties to adhere to secularism.

Addressing a press conference, he called for fostering better relations between India and Pakistan, leaving behind the mistrust, hatred and mutual suspicion. Mr. Naidu's reaction to Mr. Advani's comments appeared politically significant as it came at a time when the BJP was in the thick of the discussion on the leadership issue.

Though Mr. Naidu made it clear that the leadership issue was the internal affair of the BJP, his effort in reinstating his stand, second time in two days, apparently appeared to support Mr. Advani. He took pains to quote from Jinnah's speech to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan to strengthen the BJP president's views.

Asked if Mr. Advani's comments indicated shift in his and the BJP's stand towards secularism, he avoided giving a direct response. "If that is the case, everyone should welcome. The central issue is secularism. India is a secular country and all political parties need to stick to secularism."

On his party's future relations with the BJP, he shot back saying: "We have no relations now." Whatever relations it had were in the form of seat adjustments during elections and lending outside support to National Democratic Alliance Government. "We only supported NDA's common minimum programme and never lost a chance to be critical when it went astray or moved towards communal politics,"

Third front

Asked about the impact of developments within the BJP on the formation of the third front, he said he would not like to comment on speculation. "I have only said the third front will be a reality when there is political vacuum caused by the Congress-led UPA Government."

He saw in Mr. Advani's visit an opportunity for improving relations with Pakistan. He too plumped for the same. During his visit to Pakistan a few months ago, he met a cross section of people right from the Prime Minister to common people. In all of them, he found a yearning for peace, progress and development.