The Hindu : National : NDA seeks Kalam's help to halt survey on Muslims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2006

National

National

NDA seeks Kalam's help to halt survey on Muslims

Special Correspondent

Says the move is fraught with "dangerous consequences"; wants Navin Chawla to go "It is an issue that needs to be handled with a non-discriminatory attitude"

ALL SMILES: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj brief the media about the NDA meeting with President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on various issues, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. — Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

NEW DELHI: The National Democratic Alliance on Tuesday sought President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's intervention to "stop" a survey on Muslims in the defence forces by a government-appointed panel. The move was fraught with "dangerous consequences," it said.

The Opposition also urged Mr. Kalam to use his "good offices" to prevail upon the government for the resignation of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla and prevent a "constitutional embarrassment."

Serious issues

Speaking to newspersons after submitting a memorandum to the President, NDA convener George Fernandes and BJP leader L.K. Advani said: "Both are serious issues. The President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. We told him that everybody is keen that poverty ends. It is an issue that needs to be handled with a non-discriminatory attitude. But to undertake an exercise to ascertain only from the Muslims their economic situation, their backwardness and what could be done for them, is to communalise the issue for vote-bank politics."

Mr. Advani said: "The Army has no religion. Selections in the Army are based on the ability to defend the country. Even the Army Chief has raised objections to this exercise. We met the Supreme Commander and objected to it."

"Sectarian politics"

Charging the Congress with indulging in sectarian politics, he said the move to accord minority status to Aligarh Muslim University, amendment to the Foreigners Act and reservation on the basis of religion in Andhra Pradesh were "shameless attempts to woo the communal vote back."

The two-page memorandum said: "For this committee [headed by a retired judge] to start inquiring into the religious denominations of the personnel of the Armed forces and further probing the kind of postings being given to each one of them is fraught with dangerous consequences. Is it a prelude to reservations in the Army on the basis of religion? It is the remedy worse than the disease."

Memorandum soon

On the Navin Chawla issue, the NDA requested Mr. Kalam to refer the matter to the Chief Election Commissioner for his removal under Article 324 (5) of the Constitution.

"Under the law, an Election Commissioner can only be removed by impeachment — his being a constitutional post — if the Chief Election Commissioner advises such a course of action," Mr. Advani said.

The National Democratic Alliance would soon submit a detailed memorandum on Mr Chawla to the President.

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