BJP stoops to quot;conquerquot; Jaya

NEW DELHI, March 16: As a quid pro quo, the BJP has agreed to AIADMK leader J Jayalalitha's demand that quot;actionquot; be taken against ...

NEW DELHI, March 16: As a quid pro quo, the BJP has agreed to AIADMK leader J Jayalalitha8217;s demand that quot;actionquot; be taken against her political rivals DMK leader M Karunanidhi and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram based on their quot;indictmentquot; by the Jain Commission. However, the BJP has also told Jayalalitha that it will consider this quot;actionquot; if the final report quot;does not dilutequot; the indictment in the interim report.

The BJP has assured Jayalalitha that the final report will be tabled quot;at the earliest.quot; The party8217;s calculation is that when the report 8212; which was submitted early this month 8212; is presented in Parliament, it will be difficult for the Congress, now led by Sonia Gandhi, to oppose the AIADMK demand for dismissal of the Karunanidhi government.

Incidentally, the demand to quot;prosecute and punishquot; both Karunanidhi and Chidambaram figures in the AIADMK8217;s poll manifesto.

The BJP8217;s assurance to Jayalalitha comes despite a clear commitment in the national agenda to devolution of more financialand political powers to states 8212; a clear climbdown from the Sangh Parivar8217;s earlier pro-strong-Centre stance.

Meanwhile, the final national agenda, scheduled for release on Wednesday, also seems to have taken special care of Jayalalitha8217;s demands. Last-minute changes are being made8211;by a committee comprising Jaswant Singh and regional ally leaders including George Fernandes, Mamata Banerjee and Ramakrishna Hedge 8212; to incorporate the AIADMK8217;s demands as part of its quot;special package for Tamil Nadu.quot;

On the question of the Cauvery dispute, the BJP has said that it was willing to accommodate Jayalalitha8217;s quot;genuine aspirationsquot; in the national water policy and would honour the Supreme Court verdict on the Cauvery water issue when it comes.

However, the BJP is not averse to providing for an overall 69 per cent reservation for SCs, STs, as well as OBCs, and the most backward castes quot;if the states so desire.quot;

Story continues below this ad

On the issue of according national language status to Tamil, the BJP has agreed to set up acommission to quot;make necessary recommendationsquot; in respect of all the 19 official languages at present.

The much awaited national agenda for a quot;stable, honest, transparent and efficient governmentquot; pledges to earmark 60 of the plan funds and effect massive public investment in agriculture, rural development and irrigation, and continuation of farm subsidies making them quot;more direct and specific.quot; It promises drinking water to all villages in next five years. It also intends to increase quot;governmental and non-governmental spendingquot; up to six per cent of GDP to implement its education-for-all plan.