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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, November 21: The Congress is all set to withdraw support to the United Front government most likely on Sunday, when the party expects a formal communique to be delivered from Prime Minister I K Gujral stating the Front8217;s solidarity with the DMK.
Once the letter is received, the CWC is expected to meet and pass a resolution authorising party president Sitaram Kesri to take appropriate action. Indications are that Kesri will inform President K R Narayanan early next week of the Congress decision withdrawing support. Most possible after that is a mid-term election as no fresh realignment within the current Lok Sabha looks likely.
Indications of this also came from party vice-president Jitendra Prasada. In a lengthy statement, Prasada said: 8220;The Congress is ready to facilitate that the country continues to be governed by a non-BJP, non-DMK government provided its stand and principles do not compromise on national interests and does not violate the broad policies and programmes to which the Congress is committed.8221;
The feeler is towards secular parties within the UF to align with the Congress and arrive at a pre-election pact. This is to avoid the problems in putting together a post-election alliance as was seen in the Congress experiment with Deve Gowda and I K Gujral.
Senior Congress leaders said the party would like outfits like the Samajwadi Party, RJD, BSP and others to join hands with them. The RJD has stated it clearly and others may also do so, these leaders hoped. It seems almost certain that the UF and the Congress will not be able to reach a fresh understanding after the stand taken by the Front on Thursday, which was reiterated today.
Some sections in the party were talking of a no-confidence motion moved by Mamata Banerjee which is likely to fall on technical grounds. Added Pawar: 8220;That lapsed on the first day of the session itself. The Congress is not moving any no-confidence motion. Gujral will probably move a confidence motion if they are keen.8221;
The Congress also took pains to reply to DMK chief M Karunanidhi8217;s charges that the Jain Commission, and by implication the Congress, was anti-Tamil. 8220;We have to face squarely a choice between nationalism and anti-nationalism. All attempts to fudge issues raised in the Commission8217;s report will miserably fail. Attempts by DMK to whip up Tamil chauvinism is a cynical attempt to cover up its own misdeeds.
8220;The government of India, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, extended support to Sri Lankan Tamils at a time when they were victims of widespread violence and brutal killings. Thousands of our Tamil brothers and sisters from the island were forced to take shelter in India. The Congress is proud that the government led by its illustrious leaders came to their succour and extended all possible support to help them survive the brutal onslaughts,8221; Prasada said.
He added the Congress governments had made it 8220;absolutely clear8221; that the solution to Sri Lanka8217;s ethnic problem must be found within the framework of Sri Lanka8217;s unity. 8220;It is only when LTTE leader Prabhakaran refused to work within these parameters that the government of India had to make it abundantly clear that Indian soil would not be allowed to be used for undermining the unity and integrity of Sri Lanka,8221; the Congress vice-president added.
This is the line the Congress will take in the debate in Lok Sabha should the Gujral Government decide to seek a vote of confidence after the Congress pulls out support. Today, sundry party leaders held discussions with Kesri who was busy receiving visitors almost the entire day.
Among those who spoke to him were CWC members Pranab Mukherjee, who later left for Calcutta, A K Antony and Tariq Anwar, Gujarat CM Dilip Parikh and MPs like Ramesh Chennithala and Sukhbans Kaur.
