Yatra over, DPM takes stock

After going around the country in 33 days, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani forecast meeting the All Party Hurriyat Conference leaders for ...

After going around the country in 33 days, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani forecast meeting the All Party Hurriyat Conference leaders for a third round of talks in June.

Replying to a query on the appeal made by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to the Hurriyat to participate in Lok Sabha elections, Advani said it is understood that the Hurriyat leaders ‘‘have been under pressure ever since they had agreed to a dialogue with the Centre’’.

Advani said even though the Hurriyat did not talk of a boycott when they met him last, the implication of their statement does point to this. ‘‘Still the Centre will not react to it,’’ he told reporters here today. The next round of talks, he stated, will be held in June.

The Deputy PM’s Bharat Uday Yatra came to an end at Puri last night. He has covered 8,540 km, with his rath rolling through 128 Lok Sabha constituencies in 15 states.

When asked about the presence of the underground National Liberation Front of Tripura leaders in Delhi, Advani said he would hold talks with them. He said it was good that they ‘‘have abandoned the path of violence and come to the negotiating table’’. He would also have a word with the Tripura Chief Minister before starting the dialogue.

Describing the BJP as the principal pole of Indian politics, he said a two-party system could not evolve in India and, instead, a bipolar polity emerged. However, the failure of the Opposition is causing concern, he said. ‘‘It should remain bipolar. It is in the interest of democracy.’’

When asked about the effect of the Best Bakery case and the Lucknow stampede on poll results, he said, ‘‘There will be no impact.’’ On the Prime Minister’s appeal to Ram Jethmalani, he said it was a fact that they shared ‘‘old ties’’. ‘‘I don’t find anything objectionable (in Vajpayee’s appeal),’’ he added.