BJP in fighting mood over Tehelka

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>vaidika1008 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com >[bJP News]: Jana says BJP is in a

fighting mood over Tehelka >Thu, 5 Apr 2001 10:32:38 -0400 > >Title: Jana

says BJP is in a fighting mood over Tehelka >Author: >Publication: The Rediff

>April 5, 2001 > > Even as the controversy rages over the way the

Bharatiya > Janata Party responded to the Tehelka expose, the new > party

president K Jana Krishnamurthy feels it was a > conspiracy to "directly

assault" its leadership. > > Taking over the reins of the BJP at a difficult

time, he > asserts the party has "adequately responded" to the crisis > and

succeeded in bringing about a "fighting mood" among > the cadres and dispelling

the "dismay" (caused by the > expose). > > Krishnamurthy also promised to

continue the attempts by > Bangaru Laxman, whom he replaced in the wake of the

expose, to woo > minorities to the party and pledged not to take up

"contentious" issues > championed by it in the recent past. > > "The present

situation which I am facing arises from the tehelka.com expose. > For the first

time, a challenge has been posed to the party trying to shake the > confidence

of its members and sympathisers in the credibility of our leadership. > >

"Earlier challenges were on account of electoral reverses and facing the

political > scenario. This time, this was an attempt to directly assault the

party leadership. > The immediate steps that the party leadership took in

facing the new situation > greatly enabled us to dispel the dismay the cadre

felt at the new development," he > told PTI in the first major interview after

assuming office. > > Krishnamurthy disagreed with criticism that there has been

a flip-flop by BJP in > describing the expose as a "conspiracy", especially in

the wake of remarks by > Union Home Minister L K Advani that the party erred

initially by calling it a > conspiracy which it can do when in opposition but

not while in power. > > The new president said Advani has clarified his

position that the party had been > accustomed to the print media which gave

time for response but the electronic > media with its visual impact left no

time for considered reaction. > > "I have also said on behalf of the party that

there may be a conspiracy. My > reasoning is if Justice Venkataswamy Commission

finds Laxman, former > Defence Minister George Fernandes and Jaya Jaitley not

guilty of the allegations > made against them, then questions arise as to how

these things came about." > > Asked in that case why there was a sense of shock

in the party in the wake of the > expose, he said "Our workers were dismayed

because of the visual impact of the > president receiving wads of notes. When

it was explained by Laxman and the > party also confirmed that the same has

been accounted for in the party accounts, > that dismay or shock has gone." > >

Maintaining that the leadership has succeeded in bringing about a "fighting >

mood" in the organisation to face the new challenge, Krishnamurthy said, "By >

and large we have come to realise that the organisation as such remains >

unaffected by any taint. I am quite sure that under these circumstances I will

be > able to further build the image of the party." > > He hailed Laxman's

decision to resign within hours of the charge being levelled > against him and

said any complaint or charge against him would be looked into > by the Justice

Venkataswamy Commission. > > "Laxman feels confident that he will get himself

acquitted. As far as the party is > concerned, there is absolutely no

allegation against it in the tapes. So, under these > circumstances, the people

have properly understood the party's position," he > said. > > Asked about

Congress' claims of a political realignment in its favour in the wake > of the

expose, Krishnamurthy said "If the main opposition party was sure of its >

strength in Parliament, then why did it run away from Parliament and not move >

a motion of no-confidence against the Vajpayee government?" > > Asserting that

the BJP and its allies were prepared to face any challenge > politically,

ideologically and programmatically of the Congress and its allies, he > said

the opposition was in "disarray." > > Krishnamurthy said the Communists were

trying to gather as many groups as > possible in an attempt in which they had

failed earlier and would fail again. > > "They (the Third Front) are dreaming

of replacing the National Democratic > Alliance government but it would never

be realised even with the help of the > Congress. The Congress is facing the

Leftists in West Bengal and Kerala," he > said adding he was unable to

understand how when they were mutually fighting, > they could come together. >

> Asked about desertions from the NDA of parties like the Trinamul Congress,

the > Pattali Makkal Katchi and the MDMK, he said these exits have been based

on > local compulsions but they had not affected the stability of the NDA

government > at the Centre. > > "A time will come when those who left us will

approach us again after the > assembly elections," he said. > > Asked whether

this applied to former ally, the AIADMK, he said, "It does not > include the

AIADMK." > > Krishnamurthy said talks were on with the Assom Gana Parishad for

an alliance > in Assam for which the AGP had taken the initiative. "We hope to

have a mutual > agreement soon," he said dismissing suggestions that there

could be a repeat of > Karnataka where the alliance with ruling JD(U) had cost

the party dearly in 1999 > assembly elections. > > On whether BJP would

continue with Laxman's idea of broad basing the party > among minorities,

Krishnamurthy said, "The views on major issues would > continue to be the same

because the stand of the party does not get changed by > any single individual.

The decisions are collective." > > He said what Laxman had said in Nagpur on the

minorities was nothing new and > the party had been favouring such an approach

from the beginning. The Chennai > Declaration in 1999 before Laxman took over

had called on party cadres to > bring minorities into its fold. > > "This stand

of BJP will continue to govern the party under my leadership," he > said. > > On

the BJP relegating some of the contentious issues to the backburner, >

Krishnamurthy said, "The BJP never had any pet issues. Every issue taken up by

> the party was on the basis of public opinion. Our party consciously decided

to > bring about a change in the political culture by giving up politics of >

confrontation and going in for politics of consensus. > > "If we are to bring

many parties together and evolve a consensus to serve the > best interests of

the country, it could be only on the basis of an understanding or > an agreed

agenda. We felt that prime consideration or the challenge before the > country

is security as well as economic growth and development together with >

maintaining social harmony," he said. > > Krishnamurthy said that to bring

about consensus the BJP gave up matters on > which there could not be consensus

and agreed on an NDA agenda from which > BJP agenda was excluded. > > Asked

about the strong views taken by some of the Sangh Parivar organisations > on

issues like temple construction, Krishnamurthy said, "There is absolutely no >

pressure from any quarter which is sympathetic or favourable to us. Although >

they have their own views, they are free to air them." > > On the controversy

over lifting of Quantitative Restrictions and fears that it may > affect the

domestic industry, he said, "The Congress should have foreseen them > before

signing the agreement. There is no escape for this government. But, the >

government is carefully monitoring the impact of the removal of the QRs on >

agriculture and other products. Within the framework of the World Trade >

Organisation whatever remedial steps we can take, we will not hesitate to take

if > the situation warrants."

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