The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Thursday, December 6, 2001, Chandigarh, India

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SAD, INLD toe BJP line
T.R. Ramachandran
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 5
The Union Cabinet has been specially convened here tomorrow to consider the critical changes proposed by the allies of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance pertaining to the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO).

Despite serious objections to POTO, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s Shiromani Akali Dal and Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal have fallen in line with the thinking of the BJP.

This was evidenced at Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s all-party meeting here last evening when the representatives of Mr Badal and Mr Chautala extended the unequivocal support of SAD and the INLD for POTO. At one stage, SAD wanted POTO to be scrapped because of its horrific past experience in Punjab. This came as a pleasant surprise to all the strategists in the NDA government.

Mr Vajpayee’s effort to evolve a consensus proved to be an exercise in futility. At the same time the Prime Minister emphasised that his government was keen to put a stringent law like POTO on the statute books to deal with cross-border terrorism and other machinations aimed at harming the country’s unity.

Authoritative sources said Mr Vajpayee has specially convened the Cabinet meeting on the eve of his four-day visit to Japan to address the concerns of NDA partners like the DMK, Telugu Desam party, the National Conference and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.

Clearly, the head of government first wants to remove the misgivings of his own alliance partners by incorporating the necessary changes in POTO so that there is unanimity in the disparate NDA grouping.

DMK’s apprehension is that POTO in its present form can be used by the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu to settle scores against its political rivals. The TDP, on the other hand, is persistent that the freedom of the press should not be compromised and mediapersons should not be made the targets of POTO.

The NC, Trinamool Congress and some others in the NDA fold desire safeguards in POTO so that the minorities are not singled out for special treatment. At the same time POTO should not come into conflict with similar laws in states like West Bengal, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress party is also not averse to POTO provided necessary changes are duly incorporated.

Sources maintained it is premature to suggest that the legislative measure to replace POTO will be brought in in the Lok Sabha next week. There are pressing concerns of NDA partners which have to be addressed satisfactorily first before suggestions are elicited from opposition parties pertaining to the changes that they are seeking in POTO.

Mr Vajpayee firmly believes that a measure like POTO has become imperative to deal with forces inimical to the country’s unity and integrity. This has been echoed in ample measure by his senior ministerial colleagues though on some occasions they have sought to bracket those opposed to POTO as supporting terrorism which has earned the ire of the Congress and other opposition parties.

Oppn plans adjourn motion
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 5
For effective floor coordination among them, major Opposition parties today decided to hold regular meetings among themselves and to bring an adjournment motion on the Government’s failure to book those involved in the demolition of Babri mosque in Ayodhya on the ninth anniversary of the incident tomorrow.

The decision on the adjournment motion and to finetune the strategy for stalling the conversion of the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) into a law was reached this morning at a breakfast meeting held at CPM leader Somnath Chatterjee’s house.

Talking to reporters after a two-hour breakfast meeting, Mr Chatterjee along with the Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel said the Opposition would also observe “black day” tomorrow.

The leaders, present at the meeting also decided to coordinate their strategy on the issues raised by them in both Houses of Parliament.

“At today’s meeting, there was complete unanimity on the issues to be raised. Apart from our opposition to POTO, we have decided to raise the issue of re-induction of George Fernandes in the Union Cabinet, the economic issues including that of unemployment, disinvestment, farmers and procurement”, Mr Chatterjee said.

Giving details of the meeting, the CPM leader said while earlier the dinner was attended mainly by the Lok Sabha leaders, presence at breakfast today was largely of leaders from the Rajya Sabha.

However, Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and NCP leader Sharad Yadav were present today, Mr Chatterjee informed saying that “we have decided to meet on regular basis, irrespective of the host on the venue”.

On raising the Ayodhya issue in Parliament tomorrow on the ninth anniversary of Babri masjid demolition, Mr Chatterjee stated that “we will raise it in a manner as the situation demands”, Mr Patel said the Opposition would bring an adjournment motion on the issue in both Houses.