Jaya authorised to forge new alliance

CHENNAI, April 3 (UNI, PTI) — Armed with her party’s mandate to explore new alliances, AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalitha tonight virtually gave an ultimatum to the Vajpayee government to sack Defence Minister George Fernandes and reinstate dismissed Navy Chief Admiral Bhagwat or face the prospect of her party’s pullout from the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre.

But the BJP was quick to reject her demands and declared that the party would not budge an inch on the Bhagwat and Fernandes issues, thus moving matters to the brink leaving little elbow room for Ms Jayalalitha.

Talking to newspersons at the end of the AIADMK’s crucial general council meeting here she said, her party’s continuance in the Vajpayee government would depend upon the response to her party’s three demands which also included a joint parliamentary committee probe (JPC) into the Bhagwat issue.

Earlier, the general council authorised her to initiate steps for evolving an alternative political formation depending upon the emerging political situation and in the national interests of the party.

Assuming a combative posture the AIADMK said serious charges had been levelled against Fernandes by the dismissed Naval chief and reiterated its demand for reinstatement of Bhagwat and a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the whole episode.

While it criticised the summary dismissal of Bhagwat even without a show-cause notice the AIADMK enlarged its earlier demand for shifting Fernandes to a less sensitive Ministry by asking for his sacking from the government.

The council meeting presided over by Chairman V R Nedunchezhiyan condemned the attitude of some of the alliance partners for their ingratitude towards the AIADMK despite benefiting greatly from alliance with it.

The AIADMK said that apart from levelling serious charges like giving a free run to the LTTE and Myanmari rebels in arms smuggling activities, Bhagwat also alleged large-scale corruption in major defence deals.

The resolution said it was not proper on the part of the Centre to say that no investigation was necessary even before any probe had started.

By another resolution, the AIADMK asked New Delhi to despatch a peace-keeping force to Kosovo to prevent the massacre of ethnic Albanians in the Serbian province.

It also said the External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh should visit Belgrade and Brussels to hold conciliatory talks to bring the ongoing strife to an end.

The council asked all parties to support a Constitution Amendment Bill in this session itself to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in legislature bodies.

Earlier AIADMK functionaries flayed the BJP and some of its allies for "insulting" party supremo Jayalalitha by reacting bitterly to the "Legitimate questions" raised by her on national issues, as the party's General Council began its meeting.

Describing the AIADMK as the "axle" on which the "wheels of the Centre" were moving, party Deputy General Secretary K. Kalimuthu said Jayalalitha had every right to question the arbitrary manner in which the Naval chief, Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, was sacked. "We are not slaves of the BJP," he said.

Claiming that the AIADMK was the main force that rid the BJP of its tag of "political untouchability" and installed the Vajpayee government, he said the party had an equal potential to "bring even the highest leaders down to earth".

The AIADMK would not respect any force or leader who failed to accord due respect to Jayalalitha, he said, and singled out for strident attack three Tamil Nadu leaders — Union Power Minister Rangarajan Kumaramangalam, Petroleum Minister Vazhapadi K. Ramamurthy and MDMK leader Vaiko — for their "ingratitude" to the party which helped them win Lok Sabha seats.

Union Minister of State for Personnel Kadambur M.R. Janarthanan condemned Mr Kumaramangalam for his remark that the AIADMK should quit the Ministry if it wanted to criticise the government’s decisions.

Indicating that the AIADMK was yet to reconcile itself to his remark, even after Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee had sought to distance himself from it, Mr Janarathanan said the party took his words seriously only because he was a Cabinet Minister.

Refuting charges that the AIADMK was violating coalition principles, he claimed that the party had so far been strictly adhering to coalition norms, unlike some other constituents.

Several speakers sought to remind Mr Kumaramangalam that he owed his present position in national politics only to the AIADMK, as he was "unknown" to the people of Tiruchirappalli when he contested the elections there.

They also charged the BJP with forgetting the "basic reality" that it had no roots in the state, and could gain a foothold only because of its alliance with the AIADMK.

Mr Vaiko and Mr Ramamurthy also came under similar criticism, and were dubbed "nonentities" but for their ties with the AIADMK in the last Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier, Mr V.R. Nedunchezhiyan was re-elected Chairman of the party presidium, with Jayalalitha moving a resolution to this effect.

Fernandes rules out resignation

NEW DELHI, April 3 (PTI) -—Defence Minister George Fernandes has ruled out resignation on the Bhagwat issue saying that the Prime Minister has categorically backed him even as he fired a fresh salvo at the sacked naval chief charging him with violating the Naval Act, lying to the government and exposing national security concerns.

"Why should I resign? the Prime Minister has not asked me to do so. He has categorically said he supports me," Mr Fernandes said in an interview published in the latest issue of "India Today". He was specifically asked whether he had offered to resign at any stage.

Asked what finally led to the sacking of Adm. Vishnu Bhagwat, Mr Fernandes said "The real crunch came in November. This is the most sensitive aspect of the whole thing which I cannot speak about in the near future or even in the distant future. It is not a fig leaf of national security. It impinges on our short-term and, more than that, long-term security concerns".

On whether he regretted having delayed Adm. Bhagwat’s dismissal, Mr Fernandes said "in hindsight, yes. I feel I should have done it much earlier".

He said: "It was not just clear cases of defiance of authority. There is total violation of the Naval Act by him. He even lied to the government. I had also not anticipated the man could expose our security concerns and cause harm to the country. If he had continued, the damage to the Navy would have been beyond repair."

Cong keeping close watch

NEW DELHI, April 3 (PTI) — The Congress is keeping a close watch on political developments following today’s decision of the AIADMK, a key ally of the ruling BJP, authorising party supremo, Jayalalitha to forge a new alliance.

"As a responsible Opposition, we are keeping a close watch on today’s political developments. This rag tag coalition led by the BJP is hurtling and bumping along. Its inherent contradictions and weaknesses have once again come to the fore’’ party spokesman, Ajit Jogi, told PTI.

He stated this when asked to comment on the decision of the General Council of the AIADMK hardening its stance by demanding removal of Defence Minister, George Fernandes and reinstatement of sacked Naval Chief Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat and authorising Jayalalitha to formulate a new alliance.

Meanwhile, the Congress is busy formulating its strategy to press the demand for setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to go into the Bhagwat issue as the Lok Sabha is reassembling on April 15.

The party has already demanded that Fernandes should resign after the probe is instituted to ensure a free and fair inquiry.

Senior party leaders, including the Leaders of the Opposition Sharad Pawar (Lok Sabha) and Manmohan Singh (Rajya Sabha) as also Pranab Mukherjee and P. Shiv Shanker, had a meeting with party President, Sonia Gandhi yesterday.

PM ready for trial of strength
From Satish Misra
Tribune News Service

PANAJI, April 3 — Lashing out at the opposition for its efforts to destabilise his government, the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said that "we are ready for a trial of strength in Parliament".

Even as the Prime Minister expressed confidence in the stability of his government while addressing a public meeting in the Goan capital, the Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, reacting to the AIADMK’s three demands, reinstatement of former Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, dismissal of the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes and a JPC on the issue told newspersons that "we are here to stay and we have options".

Referring to the AIADMK chief, Ms Jayalalitha’s demands, Mr Naidu said that there was no question of compromising on the issue of the security of the country. "The real issue is different, and truth will come out", he said.

Earlier, the Prime Minister, who addressed a well attended rally, accused the Congress and other opposition parties of plotting the destabilisation of his government.

He said that while the Congress had promised to perform the role of a constructive opposition today it was engaged in being "destructive opposition".

Virtually launching the election campaign of the BJP for the coming Assembly elections due in the next few months, Mr Vajpayee appealed to voters to give a stable government so that development of the state could take place. "Development in absence of stability was a difficult task", he said adding that "stability was needed both at the Centre as well as in the states".

In an obvious reference to the troubles of coalition that he has been facing ever since he assumed office, the Prime Minister said that "if we would have had majority, the situation would have been different".

In a sharp attack on the Congress, Mr Vajpayee said that it cannot live without power and that is why it is eager to dislodge the BJP-led government. It is busy plotting to overthrow his government so that it could come and occupy it, he said.

The Congress and the Opposition has been levelling baseless allegations on the Bhagwat issue and has been running away from the debate, he said.

Swamy flays govt for denying JPC probe
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, April 3 -—The Janata Party President, Dr Subramaniam Swamy said today that opposition parties should move a no-confidence motion against the government if it did not concede a probe by a joint parliamentary committee into the Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat dismissal issue.

Dr Swamy, known to be close to AIADMK General Secretary J. Jayalalitha, said here that he visualised an "alternative coalition government" at the Centre for which the AIADMK had to support the no-confidence motion against the Vajpayee Government and Congress President, Sonia Gandhi agreeing to a new arrangement.

He said consultations were on among various political parties on the issue but refused to elaborate. "I am very confident that the motion will be filed and passed and a new government will be in place," he said.

The Janata Party MP also stepped up attack against Defence Minister, George Fernandes’ charging him with being a "security risk" and alleging a fresh case of corruption in the Defence Ministry in the supply of coastal patrol vessels and hovercraft and funding an institute run by an LTTE-supporter through the Defence Research Development Organisation.

Dr Swamy, whose tea party in honour of Ms Jayalalitha on Monday, stirred the political cauldron in the Capital, termed the Prime Minister’s claim that his government would survive even if some allies (like the AIADMK) walk out as "bravado" and claimed that the numbers were stacked against the ruling coalition.

Basing his claim on the basis of respective party strength in the Lok Sabha, Dr Swamy said in the event of a no-confidence motion, the BJP and its allies without the AIADMK would be reduced to 254 as against the Opposition strength of 271. He also discounted 16 others including the Bahujan Samaj Party (5 MPs), the DMK (6), the Tamil Maanila Congress (3) and two others as being uncertain.

"Even if you add the 16 to 254, the ruling coalition will still be short of the required majority of 271," Dr Swamy said, claiming that there would be splits in some parties like the Samata, the Trinamool Congress and the MDMK, after the installation of an alternative government.

"According to my information, splits or switchovers after the passing of a no-confidence motion would bring 21 MPs to the alternative combination," Dr Swamy said.

He said it was absurd that the Prime Minister was seeking evidence before he could consider a JPC stating that Mr Vajpayee was not a judge but a politician under cloud. "If he has nothing to hide, why deny a JPC probe?" Dr Swamy said.