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Secular parties must quit NDA: Gowda

By Our Special Correspondent

BIDAR JULY 16. The former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) President, H.D. Deve Gowda, today urged the secular partners of the BJP-led NDA, which is in power at the Centre, to quit the Government and join hands with like-minded parties to provide a feasible alternative to the Congress and the BJP.

He was addressing presspersons on his arrival in Bidar to participate in deliberations with JD(S) leaders in the district to revitalise the party and prepare for elections to the Legislative Assembly and the Lok Sabha.

Mr. Gowda said that at least now, secular parties, which were members of the NDA, should reconsider their relations with the BJP, which had made it clear that construction of the Ram Temple would be its main issue in the next Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP leadership made the statement despite the fact that most parties supporting the NDA Government were opposed to the construction of the Ram Temple before the issue was decided by the court. "How long will parties in the NDA accept the humiliation heaped on them by the BJP?" he asked. "They should know that they cannot cling to power forever by taking insults,'' he said.

Mr. Gowda said the BJP leaders' statement on the temple issue should be viewed as an insult to parties which were opposed to the construction of the temple without court intervention.

The BJP had indicated that those who were opposed to its stand could leave the Government. The statement signalled the end of the "common agenda" of the NDA. "There should be some enlightenment among political parties which are still extending support to the NDA Government, and they should join hands against the power-hungry BJP and the Congress,'' Mr. Gowda added.

He was confident that there could be an alternative to the BJP and the Congress.

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