VP out of new JD panel

New Delhi, November 2: The Janata Dal (JD) today constituted a 17-member Political Affairs Committee (PAC) which includes Prime Minister IK...

New Delhi, November 2: The Janata Dal (JD) today constituted a 17-member Political Affairs Committee (PAC) which includes Prime Minister IK Gujral and his predecessor H D Deve Gowda, but keeps former Prime Minister V P Singh out.

For the record, Singh announced some time ago that he was taking a break from active politics. But he has continued to be in the news whenever the United Front (UF) faced a crisis. He was a member of the previous PAC and a permanent invitee on the party’s national executive.

The new committee was announced by party president Sharad Yadav. Talking to the Press, Yadav called for modification of the Anti-Defection Law, but wanted Article 356 which allows the Centre to impose President’s Rule in the states to remain.

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Other members on the PAC include former JD president SR Bommai, Railway Minister Ramvilas Paswan, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Srikanta Jena, Information Minister S Jaipal Reddy, Karnataka Chief Minister JH Patel and Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Madhu Dandavate.

Surendra Mohan, Obedullah Azmi, Siddaramaiah, Devendra Prasad Yadav, Mrinal Gore, BT Lalita Naik and TC Teli are the other party leaders on the list.

Civil Aviation Minister and party treasurer CM Ibrahim is an ex-officio member. Harbans Singh Bhalla and Naval Kishore Rai are named special invitees.

Yadav indicated that the task of appointing office-bearers for various party cells was now nearly over. Yadav called for a nation-wide debate among political parties, the judiciary and the intelligentia on the Anti-Defection Law and Article 356. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had lost the moral right to project itself as a clean party after the recent Uttar Pradesh developments.

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He said the BJP could no longer speak of corruption and criminalisation in politics after accommodating many defectors and criminal elements in the UP Cabinet.Yadav called for a degree of individual freedom for the Legislators, but said the law that allows mass defections should be scrapped.

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