Vajpayee denies bid to save8217; Jayalalitha

Tiruchi, March 21: Even as the AIADMK boycotted the BJP's mega show in Tiruchi and chose to even keep off the reception for Prime Ministe...

Tiruchi, March 21: Even as the AIADMK boycotted the BJP8217;s mega show in Tiruchi and chose to even keep off the reception for Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at the airport on Saturday, the PM today attempted to mollify supremo Jayalalitha by justifying the decision to transfer her cases from special courts to the session court.

He also hastened to add that the Government did not intend to shield or save any politician. 8220;Nor would we indulge in witch-hunting of any time,8221; Vajpayee told news persons.

Playing down the AIADMK8217;s conspicuous absence at the party conference, the Prime Minister categorically asserted that the party8217;s relations with the party were not at an ebb. Asked if he missed her physical presence at the party conference, the Prime Minister promptly remarked: 8220;Spiritually also I miss her8217;. Regretting that Jayalalitha could not make it to the convention, the Prime Minister, observed quite matter-of-factly: 8220;I had a similar experience in Calcutta too8221;. BJP8217;s West Bengal ally MamtaBanerjee kept away from the BJP public meeting at Calcutta which the Prime Minister attended.

On AIADMK8217;s charges that BJP state general secretary L Ganesan was sabotaging the party8217;s relations with the BJP high command, the Prime Minister promptly agreed to do what is expected from me8217;.

When the local media literally bombarded the Prime Minister with more than half-a-dozen queries on the Centre8217;s notification shifting the cases against the Jayalalitha from special courts to the session court, an unruffled Vajpayee just evaded them with innocuous one or two liners. 8220;I don8217;t agree with that.8221;

Asked if the PMO8217;s statement that the DMK regime was indulging in witch-hunting against the AIADMK leader was not tantamount to prejudging the cases against Jayalalitha, the Prime Minister maintained that he was not trying to save anybody and that he was generally opposed to witch-hunting.On the recent massacre of Dalits in Bihar, the Prime Minister held the Oppostion Congress and the other parties which opposedthe use of Art 356 in the State, forcing the Centre to revoke Presidential rule.

8220;They have to do some soul-searching8221;, he said.

Asked if the Centre would own up responsibility for the attack on Dalits in Bihar during the President8217;s rule, the Prime MInister dismissed the incident as an aftermath.

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8220;But the recent incident is linked with the policy of the state government, policy of elections, policy of patronising criminals8217;.