NEW DELHI: The Chavan-Pilot tangle over the latter’s involvement in the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir is indicative of the growing tensions within the council of ministers on a host of economic and political issues with the recent episode throwing up a fresh problem for the Prime Minister.
The home minister had in an interview charged a ministerial colleague the Union Communication Minister of dabbling in the affairs of a sensitive state like Jammu and Kashmir and for making “undesirable” statements which were contrary to the home minister’s line. Congress (I) spokesman Chandulal Chandrakar responded by defending Pilots actions and said that the junior minister could not have done what he did without the knowledge of the Prime Minister who is also the Congress president.”
Chandrakars clarification on Thursday is being interpreted in political circles as a sign that the Prime Minister is not happy with the home minister.
There is a possibility that Chandarakar spoke on his own volition but that is being considered highly improbable for the Congress (I) spokesman has normally reflected the thinking of the party president. In any case no clarification has come from the Prime Minister on Friday to suggest anything different.
According to party sources the Prime Minister has not been entirely happy with Chavans recent statements on the BJP’s ekta yatra. The home minister had expressed him “view that there had been communal tension in areas visited by the yatra. More recently he warned the BJP leader that while the government would try and provide the yatra security they would be undertaking the journey through Punjab and Kashmir at their own risk. The BIP leader LK Advani has sharply criticized Chavan’s statement about the yatra being a “soft target”.
Meanwhile Rajesh Pilot is keeping mum those close to him say that the minister had undertaken his missions with the approval of the Prime Minister. They say that Pilot had gone to Srinagar for party work assigned by Narasimha Rao.
A large number of party men believe that Pilots involvements could not be possible without the knowledge” of Narasimha Rao whether or not they had his blessings. “If Pilot had the PMs approval Rao should say so. If not then Pilot is meddling in areas which are not his concern and his activities should be stopped there and then” said a senior Congress leader. This he said should also apply to the reported use of the Prime Ministers plane by Pilot in which he carried journalists contrary to rules.
It is possible that the Prime Minister has neither asked Pilot to act as his emissary nor stopped him. However party leaders feel that while allowing his ministerial colleagues autonomous functioning Rao is known for his noninterfering non-confrontationist approach he must assert and rein in his ministers lest he invite the charge of providing a weak leadership.
Many party men are of the view that while Chavan is not unjustified in his criticism of Pilot but he should not have gone to the Press.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 7, 1992
