From News Dispaches NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ruled out any “conditional” seat adjustments with the Janata Dal.
Reacting sharply to the Janata Dal president V.P. Singh’s statement in Bangalore that his party would have electoral adjustments with the BJP only if the latter accepted his party’s stand on minorities the BJP vice President Mrs. Vijayaraje Sciendia said that her party’s interests in seat adjustments were confined to its desire to avoid division of opposition yotes to ensure ouster of the Rajiv Government. “Neither in the matter of policies nor in the choice of allies is the BJP going to be dictated by anyone” she said.
Instatement Mrs. Scindia said that when V.P. Singh came to her residence last week to hold preliminary discussions on the question of seat adjustments neither the JD nor the BJP laid down any preconditions. “Indeed if he had even suggested what he has said at Bangalore three days later, we would have rejected his condition right there.” Mrs Scindia said. So far as her party’s policies and programmes were concerned she said, the BJP was not going to accept any condition or stipulation from any quarter.
The statement said the BJP believed in justice and equality for all Indian citizens, irrespective of religion and “irrespective of whether they belonged to the majority or minority.”
Without naming the Janata Dal she said the opportunities policies of appeasement being pursued by the Congress (I) and some other political parties for the sake of bloc votes were inflicting “grave damage to the national unity.”
Article extracted from this publication >> June 9, 1989
