Jogi warns BJP against 'undemocratic steps'

By Aarti Dhar

RAIPUR, MARCH 9. The Chattisgarh Chief Minister, Mr. Ajit Jogi, today said any undemocratic move against his Government in the wake of the BALCO controversy that had virtually snowball into a direct Centre-State confrontation, would spell disaster for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which would be totally wiped off from the State.

Highly critical of the manner in which the deal was signed followed by ``packs of white lies'' being churned out by the Union Disinvestment Minister, Mr. Arun Shourie, the Chief Minister said at a press conference here today that the Centre has broken the tradition of a harmonious Centre-State relationship, which is the basis of a federal system, by taking refuge in the Supreme Court. If at all anyone had to move the court was the new owner of BALCO and not the Central Government, he said.

Referring to the veiled threats to him from the Central Government on the stand taken by him on the BALCO issue, Mr. Jogi said he was aware of the `options' being considered by the Centre over his stance. But, the BJP must realise it would lose all the 90 Assembly seats if any unjustified move was made.

The Congress(I) in Chattisgarh has fully backed the just demands of the workers of BALCO, but the State was duty-bound to preserve law and order. ``Apart from the issue of Centre-State relations, vital issues relating to the powers available to the local governments are equally important. Gram sabhas and Panchayats are empowered to the extent that they cannot be overlooked by the Governments at the Centre and States. Several concessions have been granted to BALCO, it being a public sector undertaking, but these can be reviewed by the State Government as well as the local government,'' he warned.

The Chief Minister also took exception to the way in which the BJP spokesperson had said that he had taken up the cause as a union leader. It amounts to belittling trade unionism.

Releasing copies of letters written to his officials by the Central Government regarding the deal, Mr. Jogi said all these were just meant to inform him about the sale and did not amount to any consultations. It is unfortunate that Mr. Shourie is misleading Parliament as well as the Apex Court, he alleged. He called upon Mr. Shourie and the owner of Sterlite, Mr. Anil Aggarwal, to come out openly with the names of those involved in this controversial deal.

A profit-making PSU, estimated to be worth more than Rs. 5,000 crores, has been squandered away for less than one-tenth of its value in a sleazy deal where the ``needle of suspicion'' points to the highest and the mightiest of the day, he said though refusing to divulge the names of those believed to have taken kick-backs in the deal, Mr. Jogi repeated that he would reveal the names of the accused before a Joint Parliamentary Committee, a judicial committee or any other appropriate forum set up to look into the deal.

BALCO's privatisation is not just another exercise in economic reforms. It is bad economic, and worse still, it is bad politics. It is a conspiracy against both national well being and local sentiments, he said.

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