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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, March 25: The National Conference’s vacillation on toeing the United Front’s stand of voting against the government of the BJP-led alliance in the Lok Sabha continued today with NC chief Farooq Abdullah refusing to give the coalition a commitment either way.
Farooq told the UF steering committee that his party’s stand on the voting on the confidence motion of the Vajpayee government would be decided by the NC working committee tomorrow. He was also slated to meet N Chandrababu Naidu, who has broken ranks with the UF, later tonight.
The UF however put up a brave front, saying that the NC would “at worst abstain and at best vote along with us.” Its spokesman S Jaipal Reddy emphasised that the “NC will remain in the UF”.
Emerging from the steering committee meeting, Farooq said that he was under “tremendous compulsions” to maintain a good relationship with the Centre, in view of the Pakistan-backed insurgency in his State. “It is a reality that there is a BJP government at the Centre. Weshould have a good government-to-government relationship,” he said.
To a related query, he said, “Nobody can drive Muslims away from India, not even the BJP.” He added that he had the confidence that the BJP would also be fair to Muslims.
Farooq refuted reports that his son, Omar Farooq, would be joining the Vajpayee ministry. “Neither my son nor any member of my party will be in the government,” he said. Asked about the move to form a new front , he said he would have to talk to Naidu about it.
Briefing reporters after the steering committee deliberations, Jaipal Reddy quoted Farooq as having said that his party would not desert the UF. Asked if the UF would accept the NC even if it abstained on the confidence vote, he replied “We shall consider the situation as it develops.”
Asked if he agreed that the UF was given the impression that it was desperately trying to keep the NC within itself, he retorted: “We are not desperate. Those who vacillate are victims of desperation. We couldn’t careless.”
Sources in the UF said that Farooq was voicing fears of a possible dismissal of his government if he did not support the BJP government.
