Advani for consensus on unity

GANDHINAGAR, Feb 4: Union Home Minister L K Advani has advocated a policy of consensus' among the political parties to keep the country ...

GANDHINAGAR, Feb 4: Union Home Minister L K Advani has advocated a policy of consensus8217; among the political parties to keep the country united and bring timely solution to the various problems confronting the nation.

Inaugurating the Dr Ambedkar Bhavan, built by the State Social Justice and Empowerment Department in Gandhinagar today, Advani said though national leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Sardar Patel and Shyamaprasad Mukherjee differed in views during debates in Parliament, their prime concern was only national interests and India8217;s integrity.

He said these national leaders always talked about development, progress and unity of the country during the debates and believed in a quot;consensusquot; policy to thrash out the problems. quot;But the attitude of present day leaders and politicians is parochial, as they talk about caste, religion and creed while participating in debates in Parliament, which must be avoided in the larger national interestsquot;, he observed.

Citing an example, Advani claimed it was only through the quot;consensusquot; at a co-ordination committee meeting of allies in the Vajpayee Government that quot;we could take the decision on rolling back the hike in the prices of the essential commodities being distributed at the subsidised rates to the people living below the poverty linequot;.

Decrying an inordinate delay in the implementation of welfare schemes by the State Governments, Advani called for a new quot;work culturequot; in the administration to avoid this delay.

Taking an oblique dig at the Keshubhai Patel Government, he expressed the surprise that quot;it took three years for the government to construct the Dr Ambedkar Bhavan in Gandhinagar since the project was conceived and approved in 1995quot;.

Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel said his government had decided to set up Ambedkar Bhavans in all the districts, and acquired land in nine districts already to start the project this year.

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Patel said Dr Ambedkar believed in freedom, equality and brotherhood, but all this was not yet achieved even after 50 years of Independence, especially the spirit of brotherhood was still lacking among Hindus, Muslims and Christians in the country.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Fakirbhai Vaghela said Babasaheb Ambedkar8217;s decision to embrace Buddhism, which was very close to Hinduism, had prevented the country from disintegrating. quot;Had he embraced any other religion which is not associated with the Indian culture and tradition, the country would have fragmented into various partsquot;, Vaghela remarked.

BJP Rajya Sabha member Bangaru Laxman, State Co-operation Minister Ramanlal Vora, Gandhinagar MLA Vadibhai Patel also spoke. P K Das, ACS, Social Justice and Empowerment Department, welcomed the gathering.