RINAGAR, India: Former Union Tourism Minister Multi Syeed has criticized the expulsion of five more MPs from the Congress (I) saying that such expulsions will not be beneficial to the party.
In an interview with the press here, the Mufti said that the Congress (1) was on the brink of a major crisis and the expulsion of MPs and other leaders was no solution to the current problem in the party.
In reply to a question he ruled out the possibility of reconciliation between the Prime Minister and the camp headed by Mr. V.P. Singh. He gave two reasons for this. First, Prime Minister had adopted a path of confrontation with the V.P. Singh camp. During the election of President of India all Congress (I) voters voted for the party nominee, Mr. R. Venkataraman, This should have prompted the Prime Minister to build bridges with the so-called dissidents. He did not do I that and instead went on expelling one MP after another.
Secondly, the chances of rapprochement with the Prime Minister were bleak because so long as the Prime Minister did not clear himself of the alleged involvement, direct or indirect, in certain shady deals, “we cannot think of joining hands with the other group”.
‘Asked whether he would initiate mediation between the two camps, the Mufti said: “How can when the high command continues to discourage healthy dissent”, The Congress Party was a federal structure but now there ‘was no inner party democracy.
He said as a Congressman he was unhappy over the way suspicion around various deals, including the Bofors and purchase of Wasteland helicopters, and one was forced to believe that some ViPs at the Centre had some direct or indirect involvement. He asserted that the Prime Minister entrusted his credibility because the image of the country had been sullied by these scandals. He wondered why the Prime Minister entrusted the task of enquiring into the Bofors deal to some of his trusted men it he, as claimed by his ‘supporters, had nothing to hide.
He alleged that because of the crisis in the Congress (I), the party run State Governments were not able to deliver the goods, as the non-Congress (I)run States, including Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, were doing, At one stage Mr. Devi Lal’s announcement of allowing small farmers and other poor sections n0t to repay their loans was treated as a poll gimmick but he has done it because he is the master in the State. He has not to seek clearance for every minor issues from Delhi.
In reply to a question whether there was an alternative to the Congress (I), the former Union Minister said that the alterative was emerging if the party high command kept on discouraging dissent and disallowing healthy discussion in the party forums. He added as a Congressman he would like to see the Congress (I) Strong ‘but those who “wedded to the party ideology were being thrown out and those involved in scandals were being shielded.
‘Asked to give an instance, he said why Mr, Amitabh Bachchan had not been expelled from the party. He made it clear that he had nothing personal against any party leader, but he wanted to keep the ‘Congress (I) image untainted.
The Mufti Syed said the midterm poll was no answer to the ‘current crisis, He said: “May be the Prime Minister has plans of going in for midterm elections. But that will not settle the matters pertaining to the scandals”.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 11, 1987
