Parivar, PM8217;s worry: Gupta

NAGPUR, April 12: Instability for the Atal Behari Vajpayee government could come not from the parties supporting the coalition but from the ...

NAGPUR, April 12: Instability for the Atal Behari Vajpayee government could come not from the parties supporting the coalition but from the members of the quot;Sangh Parivarquot; like the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, according to former Union Home minister, Indrajit Gupta.

Speaking to newspersons here today, Gupta said the quot;Sangh Parivarquot; appeared to be unhappy with the BJP for keeping on hold issues like Ayodhya temple and common civil code.

The veteran CPI leader said the BJP-led front had more constituents, with more divergent stands on issues than the United Front government, in which he was Home minister.

quot;It will be difficult to run this government for long,quot; he added.

Gupta demanded that the Srikrishna Commission report on the post-Ayodhya riots in Mumbai should be tabled soon in the State Assembly as required under the Commissions of Enquiry Act. quot;There is something fishy about the State government8217;s reluctance to table it and it could be because some Shiv Sena leader might have beenindicted,quot; he said.

The appointment of Pramod Mahajan as advisor to the Prime Minister after his defeat in polls, with Cabinet rank but no oath of secrecy, was quot;not desirablequot;, he said.

Gupta said the ruling front, which made review of the Constitution its top priority on its agenda, should have also declared which Articles it wanted amended. If it was the basic features, he was opposed to it, Gupta said.

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No exercise for such a review was undertaken or proposal made during his term as the Home Minister, he added.

Amendment of Article 356 to incorporate safeguards against its misuse by the Governors was discussed several times at the Inter-State Council meetings during the UF regime and the matter could be pursued, Gupta said.

He agreed with the Sarkaria Commission recommendation that active politicians should not be appointed Governors.

quot;There was nothing irregular about appointment of a former director general of police, Mukherjee, as Governor of Mizoram by his government as it was done afterconsulting not only the President of India but also the Chief Election Commissioner,quot; Gupta said.