Accolades pour in for Soz

NEW DELHI, April 18 (UNI) — Congress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi, AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalitha, President Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Front, leaders of various Left and other parties lauded the National Conference leader Prof Saifuddin Soz for tilting today the balance in favour of the Opposition to vote the Vajpayee government out of power.

Mrs Gandhi greeted Prof Soz on the telephone for defying the party whip, remaining unconcerned about the consequences, by voting against the confidence motion. The Congress chief said Prof Soz always opposed the government which was patronised by the communal forces.

Prof Soz also met West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu this morning and the duo discussed the political scenario which has emerged after the fall of the Vajpayee Government. Both felt the need to work for forming an alternative government.

Ms Jayalalitha also thanked the national conference leader,adding that her party’s 18 votes would have gone waste had he not voted against the motion. She congratulated Prof Soz and invited him for discussion on political situation.

Leaders of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha and the Congress also held talks with Prof Soz on wide-ranging issues.

Scores of Muslims leaders, including Mr E. Ahmed of the Indian Union Muslim League, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, Qazi Mujahidul Islam, Mr Asgar Ali Engineer, Mr Jawed Habib and others also congratulated Prof Soz for his bold step.

Former Prime Minister H.D. Deva Gowda also talked to Prof Soz on telephone.

Meanwhile, the National Conference Working Committee is being convened at Jammu tomorrow to discuss the issue of Mr Soz defiance to the party whip. "The working committee will discuss the matter and later issue a show cause notice to Prof Soz for defying the party order," Umer Abdullah, NC’s Lok Sabha member and son of party President Farooq Abdullah told PTI over phone from Srinagar.

He said since Prof Soz was not expelled from the party as yet, he would also be invited to attend tomorrow’s meeting.

JAMMU TNS adds: A majority of loyalists, including several ministerial colleagues, of Dr Farooq Abdullah are for disciplinary action against Professor Soz, who had defied the party whip by opposing the motion of confidence. What has irked some of these loyalists is certain remarks made by Professor Soz while justifying his stand of defying the party whip.

However, dissidents are happy that Professor Soz acted as per his conscience.

The loyalists want a meeting of the National Conference Working Committee to be convened immediately for discussing the stand taken by Professor Soz so that disciplinary action could be initiated against him. However, the general feeling is that Professor Soz should be asked to explain to the Working Committee the reasons for defying the party whip.

Whatever decision Dr Abdullah may take in this regard, one thing is certain that Professor Soz has emerged as a ‘hero’ in the Kashmir valley. A survey by The Tribune indicated that within one day, the MP's image has soared in the Kashmir valley particularly in the Baramula Lok Sabha constituency, from where he has been elected three times.

Supporters of Professor Soz say that they are happy over the fall of the BJP-led Government and the way one National Conference leader has dared to ‘challenge’ the leadership of Dr Abdullah. The opponents of Dr Abdullah are apparently happy because Professor Soz's stand has helped in assuaging their frustration.

The 60-year-old history of the National Conference reveals that those who have disagreed with the party leadership or have manoeuvred against the party boss have lost their moorings. Whether it was Maulana Masoodi, Mirza Afzal Beg, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad or G.M. Shah, these leaders were never able to retrieve the ground they had lost after they were thrown out of the party.

People of the stature of Maulana Masoodi and Mirza Afzal lost their foothold because they could not measure up to Sheikh Abdullah, who ruled the hearts of Kashmiris for 50 years whether he was in power or in the Opposition.

The situation is different today. If Professor Soz is thrown out of the party, the loss would be of the National Conference because the dissidents in the ruling party have been eagerly waiting for a leader to emerge under whom they can oppose Dr Abdullah. Secondly, Professor Soz, over the years, has built an image in Delhi and elsewhere. His vote against the motion of confidence has enhanced his political image. It may not be difficult for him to recapture the Baramula Lok Sabha seat even if he is thrown out of the party. In case he cannot contest from Baramula, the Muslim League has offered him a safe seat elsewehere in India.

Thirdly, the expulsion of Professor Soz would be a loss for Dr Abdullah, who needs a bridge for reviving his links with the Congress and other non-BJP parties. Professor Soz had arranged a meeting between Dr Abdullah and Ms Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Saturday. The meeting was not materialising for several months and by arranging it, Professor Soz showed Dr Abdullah that he had his pockets of influence among non-BJP parties.

So far, Professor Soz has not challenged the supremacy of Dr Abdullah. He has simply raised an accusing finger at those close to Dr Abdullah. Therefore, the Chief Minister has to think twice before he initiates any disciplinary action against Professor Soz.