The Hindu : Front Page : Rajnath does not allow discussion on Rajasthan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 02, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Rajnath does not allow discussion on Rajasthan

Special Correspondent

Focus on government’s achievements

Munde says the Gujjars have relented
Vasundhara’s initiatives come in for praise

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh did not allow a discussion in the party’s national executive committee meeting here on Sunday on the crisis in Rajasthan. The agitation there by the Gujjars demanding Scheduled Tribe status has claimed 39 lives in three separate incidents of police firing over the past two weeks.

While the Gujjar crisis prevented Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and state unit president Om Mathur from attending the meeting the ‘prabhari’ Gopinath Munde presented a report to the delegates in a session devoted to States going to polls later this year.

Mr. Munde reportedly told members that the Gujjars had relented and were allowing the State government to conduct post-mortem examination on the bodies of those killed in the agitation.

Sources said the party sought to play down the crisis and instead focussed on the “achievements” of the Rajasthan government and its preparedness for polls due in November this year.

When one senior leader Hukum Singh tried to ask a question related to the crisis, he was told that he could discuss it with Mr. Munde separately. No discussion was allowed by the BJP president.

Earlier at a press briefing party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad was asked whether the party contemplated a change of Chief Minister in Rajasthan as demanded by the Gujjars. His response was “no comment.”

Compelling reasons

Asked about the large number of people killed in police firing and the Rajasthan government’s record of 50 incidents of police firing in 54 months, Mr. Prasad said there were “justifiable” and “compelling” reasons for the police action.

He added that the Raje government was taking all possible steps to bring back normality in the State .

Mr. Prasad praised the Raje government for several initiatives that would help it to get out of the so-called BIMARU States.

‘Unfortunate’

In his presidential speech, Mr. Rajnath Singh began with the electoral victory in Karnataka, but there was a cursory reference to the crisis in Rajasthan. He described the deaths in police firing as “unfortunate” and said the violent incidents as a result of protests on the issue of reservation had “shocked the entire country.”

The sources indicated that although a change in leadership in Rajasthan was discussed by senior leaders in the last 10 days, no consensus had emerged as some felt replacing Ms. Raje just six months ahead of the polls would send the wrong political signal.

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

Front Page