M A I N   N E W S

BJP to stick with Shiromani Akali Dal
Party’s national executive discusses agro-policy
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 2
Focusing on the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state, the national executive of the BJP today not only announced its continuation of the alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) but also held serious discussions on agricultural issues.

BJP national president K. Jana Krishnamurthi pays obeisance at Harmandar Sahib in Amritsar on Friday.—Tribune photo by Karam Singh

In his inaugural speech, the BJP national President, Mr K. Jana Krishnamurthi, said, “Our relationship with the Akali Dal is good and with due understanding, I am sure, our alliance will accept and meet the electoral challenge successfully”.

Expressing “magnanimity” shown by the SAD, Mr Krishnamurthi said, “The SAD could have formed the ministry on its own but as we have a long-standing alliance and have contested elections together, it insisted that we should share power”.

Describing the September 11 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon in Washington and the World Trade Center in New York as a black day for the USA, Mr Krishnamurthi expressed concern that till then the USA had not paid much attention to the terrorism in different parts of the world, particularly India. He said, “We have to accept the challenge of terrorists and there is no other way but to fight it out”.

Seeking support from all political parties in the country on the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), Mr Krishnamurthi said terrorism had to be eliminated from the world at any cost. “If the civilisation has to be saved from the peril of terrorism, mankind will have to come together and face it boldly. Our NDA government, under the leadership of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, recognised this clearly and extended full cooperation in this fight against terrorism”. He said the terrorist attacks on the USA should not be viewed differently from the terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir or anywhere else in the world.

Mr Krishnamurthi said the USA should remember that the fight against terrorism would not provide the desired results until it came forward to cooperate with India and other countries in rooting out the menace from other parts of the world also.

Seeking cooperation from the countrymen to eliminate terrorism, Mr Krishnamurthi said the government was determined to crush terrorism.

“I make a special appeal to the Opposition parties not to allow partisan interests to come in the way of fighting the challenge posed by the terrorists. In a democracy we can afford to have different views. But when the national security is under threat, all parties should extend unstinted support to the government,” Mr Krishnamurthi said.

Coming down heavily on Gen Pervez Musharraf, Mr Krishnamurthi said the world knew that Pakistan had been aiding and abetting the Taliban. He charged President Musharraf with doublespeak on cross-border terrorism.

Reiterating the stand of the BJP to initiate a dialogue, Mr Krishnamurthi said India was prepared to have talks with Pakistan on all issues, including Kashmir, provided the necessary peaceful climate was created.

Mr Krishnamurthi said as a result of economic reforms, amendment was sought to be made in the Industrial Disputes Act and the contract laws. He said amendment should be made in such a manner that helps in accelerating economic activities through enhanced investment flow. He said the attempt of the NDA government to amend the Acts should not be viewed as against the interests of the labour.

For the uplift of the urban poor, Mr Krishnamurthi suggested a specialised set-up to handle all land title disputes. He advocated simplifying and improvising the ground registration system for land titles. Mr Krishnamurthi emphasised the need to lower the stamp duty to minimise tax evasion and reduce cost-assured possession of dwelling units.

Appreciating the recent step by the Reserve Bank of India to reduce the bank rate, Mr Krishnamurthi said there were some anomalies which had been brought to the notice of the RBI and needed to be removed.

Pointing out anomalies in the World Trade Organisation, Mr Krishnamurthi suggested that the government must get them removed at the next meeting of the WTO in Doha, so that these could be rectified for the welfare of farmers.

Meanwhile, the national executive today discussed its agricultural policy, prepared by a committee headed by Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, former Chief Minister of Rajasthan. On the minimum support price (MSP), the report suggested that it must strike a healthy balance keeping in view the interests of consumers so that they played a supporting role to protect the interests of the farmers.

It stated that the concept of the MSP was devised in order to rescue farmers through procurement of agricultural produce when the market was volatile. “However, when the MSP is kept at an unrealistically high level, the government’s supporting role will be curtailed as the same cannot be extended to the consumers due to high issue offtake”. It said if the farmers and the consumers had to be mutually supportive to each other, the MSP should be at a scientifically acceptable level.

Replying a query by a journalist, Mr Sunil Shastri, national general secretary of the BJP, said if the ruling SAD in Punjab wanted to move against the provisions of the WTO, it was free to do so. He, however, denied that the state governments were not taken into confidence on this issue.

Advani takes a back seat
Satish Misra
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 2
Known for his active participation in the party affairs, Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani’s low profile at the national executive committee meeting today was noticed by his friends as well as foes.

Mr Advani’s low profile in Amritsar was noticed prominently during a workers’ meeting addressed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee this afternoon.

BJP President K. Jana Krishnamurthi delivered his speech in Hindi. Mr Advani, who had struck a discordant note at the recently held National Council meeting in Delhi, however, did not speak.

Mr Advani had told the National Council meeting that it was cultural nationalism which had enabled the growth of the BJP in the past 12 years. The movement for the construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya was the nucleus of cultural nationalism, he had said.

But Mr Advani’s words, which were music to the ears of the party rank and file, were not appreciated by the allies of the Vajpayee government and were not even liked by the Prime Minister.

Of late, differences over the control of the party and its management have been growing between Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani with the latter deciding to take a back seat and wait for his turn.

With Mr Vajpayee making his peace with the RSS leadership, particularly with the Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh’s patron Dattopant Thengdi, Mr Advani’s usefulness has reduced considerably, sources said.

Arrangements go haywire
Satish Misra and Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 2
At its first-ever executive committee meeting in this holy city, the arrangements made by the BJP literally went for a six with devotees to the Golden Temple, the media as well as the BJP President Mr K. Jana Krishnamurthi, facing problems.

While the devotees, who came to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, set up by Sri Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs, faced problems in the name of security not only due to the security forces but even due to the task force of the SGPC, mediapersons also had to face their wrath this morning when they went to cover the visit of the BJP President and members of the national executive .

The mediapersons were jostled before being denied entry into the information centre where the SGPC President, Jagdev Singh Talwandi, interacted with Mr Krishnamurthi and the executive members and presented them “siropas”.

Yesterday night, the BJP President arrived here from New Delhi on the Swarna Shatabdi and could not address the assembled workers at the station in the name of security. He had to be taken away even while he was being felicitated.

The cup of woes of the mediapersons started overflowing this morning when they arrived at the venue of the meeting aboard an official bus carrying a red VVIP sticker and were not allowed entry to MK Hotel where the two-day meeting is being held.

The bus had to undertake a 45-minute journey to reach the venue which is at a stone’s throw from the hotel where the mediapersons are staying.

The mediapersons gained entry to the venue after Minister for Rural Development M. Venkaiah Naidu and OSD (Press) in the Prime Minister’s Office Ashok Tandon jointly intervened .

The SAD story of the sorry state of arrangements began with the journey at the New Delhi station where reporters and camerapersons assembled to take the Golden Temple Express for Amritsar.

As soon as the train arrived from Mumbai, it was communicated that since party MPs had been given reservation, the mediapersons would be taken by the Chhattisgarh Express. Then came another announcement that a special bogey was being attached to the Golden Temple Express so that all could travel together.

Finally, some travelled on the Golden Temple Express and others in the Chhattisgarh Express with the result that some got food and some not. The end of the woes was not in sight as on arrival at Amritsar, there was confusion all around as nobody could exactly tell where the staying arrangements were being made.

And the mediapersons made no secret of their feelings when Ms Maya Singh, national general secretary, came for the first media briefing. Her repeated apologies failed to pacify them.

Realising the gravity of the situation and a last minute media management exercise, two senior members of the party, Mr Arun Jaitley and Mr Narendra Modi (Gujarat Chief Minister) walked into the media lounge to interact with the mediapersons. They did talk to some of the newsmen on a variety of issues .

While efforts were being made to pacify the mediapersons, three women journalists were allowed entry into the main venue for interaction with the delegates. Two other women scribes, however, resented this move and lodged a formal protest.

Initially, the mediapersons were not allowed to carry their cell phones inside the media centre. Later, realising the gravity of the situation, cell phones were delivered back to newsmen inside the media centre.

In fact, many others, including some officials, were seen flaunting their mobile phones inside the venue of the meeting. The journalists had even to scribble a few words with their pens to ensure that there were no pencil bombs.

Leaders feel the heat

THE heat of the day made those sitting on the dais rather uncomfortable. While curtain had to be put up for the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Vehari Vajpayee, was provided sun glasses to ward off the sunrays.

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is presented a traditional sword in the city of Amritsar on Friday. — Reuters photo

Though it was an active workers rally yet a large number of ruralities, especially Sikhs, were present. This prompted the Prime Minister to observe that the rally appeared to be a cross between a ‘jan sabha’ and a workers rally.

Leaders who could be accommodated on the dais included the state Health Minister, Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, the state BJP President, Mr Brij Lal Rinwa and the President of the Amritsar unit of the BJP, Mr Om Prakash Kalia. Most of the senior party leaders, including cabinet ministers, members of Parliament and party MLAs, had to be contend sitting in the shamiana.

Interestingly, the BJP appears to have curtailed its national executive committee meeting from three to two days to accommodate women so that they can celebrate ‘karva chauth’ on November 4.

Mrs Khalra held
Our Correspondent

Amritsar, November 2
The police today early morning arrested Mrs Paramjit Kaur Khalra of the Khalra Mission Committee to prevent disturbance of the peace in the state.

She reportedly was arrested at 4.30 a.m. hours before the arrival of the Prime Minister at 10 a.m. today reportedly from her residence here. The police also rounded-up six others, including Kirpal Singh Randhwa PHRO vice-president.