The Hindu : Joshi: I will quit if chargesheeted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 19, 2003

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Joshi: I will quit if chargesheeted

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI SEPT. 18. The Human Resource Development Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, today said he would resign from the Government if he is charge-sheeted in the Babri Masjid demolition case in which a court in Rae Bareilly is expected to deliver an order tomorrow.

His statement made to television channels and reporters threw the Bharatiya Janata Party into a state of confusion, for the party has been all along maintaining that the entire case was "political" and since this is not a corruption case, there is no need for its leaders in the Government to quit. Party leaders refused to comment, saying they had not heard Dr. Joshi, and that in any case he was free to express his views.

In the event Dr. Joshi quitting if he is charge-sheeted, will the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, who is also implicated in the case, follow suit? Mr. Advani refused to comment on Dr. Joshi's statement, saying he would say something tomorrow after the court order was pronounced.

The party general secretary, Pramod Mahajan, was also unwilling to say much. "Let us see what happens tomorrow", he said.

Opinion in the party varies from one of trepidation at the thought of a political crisis — right now the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is out of the country and Mr. Advani, as his deputy is in command — and, strangely, almost jubilation at the possibility of its senior leaders being charge-sheeted. "We will sweep the polls in the four States of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, if the court charge sheets our leaders," a party leader said.

In fact, tomorrow afternoon the party president, Venkaiah Naidu, has invited the press to the party office to celebrate the "triumphant return" of the Union Law Minister, Arun Jaitley, from Cancun. But, leaders also let it be known that there would be a "double celebration" if Mr. Advani, Dr. Joshi and others, including the party's chief ministerial aspirant in Madhya Pradesh, Uma Bharati, were discharged "honourably". Some in the party are convinced that it would be the case.

Party leaders said that either way the BJP would benefit. "If they are discharged, we would stand vindicated that the cases were political and foisted on our leaders. In spite of being in the Government the BJP did not withdraw the cases but allowed the law to run its course. If they are charge-sheeted, this could become a major issue and the party could ride to electoral victory on its back."

Political observers, however, pointed out that in the lotus symbol case decided in favour of the BJP by the Election Commission after the 1991 `rath yatra' of Mr. Advani, the party had successfully argued that the `yatra' and the Ayodhya agitation were not political in nature. It had said the issue was "cultural". How could then the party argue today that the case was political and not criminal, some Opposition leaders asked. But they too were not willing to say much at this juncture and preferred to reserve their ammunition for tomorrow. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was of the view that a charge-sheeted Mr. Advani could give "added strength to the Ram temple movement". While saying that he would quit if charge-sheeted, Dr. Joshi said he would not like to comment about any other person when specifically asked if others in the party would follow suit. He also added that it would be for the Prime Minister and the party to take a final view on the nature of the cases.

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