The Hindu : BJP polarising society: Sonia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2002

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BJP polarising society: Sonia

By Anita Joshua

NEW DELHI JULY 16. One with the Government in the war against terrorism, the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, nevertheless said there was no coherence or clarity in the official stance on national security issues and Jammu and Kashmir, and cautioned against "allowing the confrontation with Pakistan to be used by the BJP to polarise Indian society".

Addressing the general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party here today, Ms. Gandhi listed the issues on which the Government ought to be held accountable during the monsoon session. Besides terrorism and Kashmir, the subjects that she mentioned are Gujarat, "harassment" of the media, FDI in the print media and electoral reforms.

Commenting on what she called the "deliberate doublespeak'' of the Government on Jammu and Kashmir, Ms. Gandhi quoted several instances of senior Cabinet Ministers speaking in two voices. "What are we to make of all this confusion? Loud thinking cannot be a substitute for policy. But, `talk now and think later' appears to be the motto of the BJP-led Government.''

The Government had not come out with a cohesive and effective policy on Jammu and Kashmir despite the "unprecedented support'' given by the Opposition, Ms. Gandhi said, instead, the confrontation with Pakistan was used cynically by the BJP to polarise society to stoke communal feelings.

Reflecting on the recent developments in the BJP and the NDA, Ms. Gandhi said the allies had been totally marginalised and "what matters now is the BJP's communal agenda''. "The entire Government and party machinery are in the hands of those who misuse religion for partisan purposes. The VHP has displayed its utter contempt for the law of the land and stridently announced that it will not abide by the Supreme Court's verdict on Ayodhya.''

Apart from criticising the Gujarat Government for its "blatantly partisan approach'' vis-à-vis the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the communal violence, Ms. Gandhi said there were "alarming reports'' of communal elements being systematically recruited for government jobs at the Centre and in the States where the BJP was in power.

Ms. Gandhi took exception to the way in which some of NDA allies in Tamil Nadu had been publicly espousing the cause of the LTTE. "Functions were held in that State in the presence of the Union Home Minister when the LTTE was being extolled.'' Asserting the need for the nation to send a strong and unequivocal signal that support to banned, terrorist organisations would not be permitted, she said: "We are shocked to note that the compulsions of the NDA coalition are being placed above the basic principles and the national interest.''

And, lest the unanimity in political circles over electoral reforms be construed as the Congress being opposed to clean politics, Ms. Gandhi said the party stood for "greater transparency and accountability and for cleansing politics of criminal and other undesirable elements''.

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