The Hindu : National : Ruling coalition lacks consensus, says Vajpayee

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 24, 2004

National

National

Ruling coalition lacks consensus, says Vajpayee

By Arunkumar Bhatt

MUMBAI, JUNE 23. The former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee today wondered how long the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance at the Centre would last.

Addressing a BJP workers' rally here, he said he had doubts about the Congress successfully working with the Leftists. He accused the Congress of trying to shatter the national consensus on several issues, particularly the economy and wondered how long the present disposition that lacked consensus would be able to work together, in contrast to the 27-party coalition of the National Democratic Alliance that he had led.

He said that before founding the Jan Sangh, the forerunner of the BJP, the founder, Shyamaprasad Mukherjee was in the Hindu Mahasabha and yet he was included in the first Nehru Cabinet at the instance of Mahatma Gandhi.

"Nobody said that he was communal or asked how he could work with Pandit Nehru and Maulana Azad," he said. Dr. Mukherjee was included because the national leaders then were for consensus. He warned against the `return of political untouchability.'

The Leader of the Opposition, L.K. Advani recalled how the BJP and the erstwhile Jan Sangh had weathered setbacks, including the mysterious death of Dr. Mukherjee in a jail in Jammu and Kashmir when the party was still in its infancy and its functionaries other than the founder were not known in the country.

The rally was organised by the Mumbai BJP to mark the `martyrdom' of Dr. Mukherjee.

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

National