MADRAS— Aug 6 The Bharatiya Janata Party president, Mr Lal Krishna Advani said here on Sunday that the CAG report, coupled with the resignation of opposition party members from the Lok Sabha would make it “impossible” for the Congress I to come back to power in the in the coming elections.

However, he hastened to add that the opposition’s confidence had been undermined by the dismissal of the Karnataka Government. This, and the quarrels among the opposition parties, however, prevented him from totally dismissing “the danger” of the Congress I coming to power.

The prolonged discussions between the opposition parties on the Panchayati Raj BUI was likely to Result in the formulation of a concerted strategy against the measure, he said.

Referring to the debate on the CAG report, he said that the Government was denigrating the institution of the CAG to cover up its lapses. Quoting from the Constitution, he said that the office of CAG was more important than the judiciary. Remarks against the CAG would invite impeachment, Mr Advani said adding that the phraseology used in Parliament could be regarded as “vulgar” and not just critical,

He alleged that the CAG report has proved that the Rajiv Government had been lying to Parliament all these years. The Joint” Parliamentary Committee had done the job “whitewashing”, he added.

”CAG reports were normally not discussed in Parliament but in this case even before the discussions commenced, we (the opposition) could sense that the purpose would be to sling mud at the CAG! The Government would not spell out the action taken on the CAG report and the resignation is the most effective way of exposing the Government”, he said.

Apart from corruption, yet another issue was the Congress party attitude towards constitutional institution. It had been systematically trying to undermine these institutions during the last five years, Starting with the institution of presidency to the institution of Parliament, Mr Advani explained Mind that Though Pakistan declared itself a theocracy after partition, India had decided against it, and the credit for this went to leaders like Dr. Shyama Prasad  Mukherjee of the Hindu Mahasabha in the Constituent Assembly.

The Hindu culture of Bharat and its people did not permit a theocracy. India was a nationality of states and not a state of nationalities. The RSS and its connected organizations had been stressing this point, he pointed out.

The minorities of the country should ask themselves whether embracing a religion other than Hinduism meant that they had changed their nationality. In fact, India was the only country which did not curb the practice of non-Hindu religions openly, whereas Islamic countries in the West Asia punished such practices, even in the UK the independent TV would not accept an advertisement for a religion other than Christianity, Mr Advani said. The Hindu majority country, with its true liberal outlook had enabled the Constituent Assembly to form a Constitution which was not against the minorities. This was a civil Constitution. If there were to be a new Constituent Assembly to draft new Constitution today, “I shudder to think of its shape”, he said.

Mr Advani said the BJP would finalize its Lok Sabha elections are during the last week of September:

He told news men that the BJP National Executive would meet on September 24 follow the, National Council meeting on September 25,26, and 27 in Bombay. The manifesto would be finalized during these sessions.

Regarding seat adjustments he said that the process was going on with the Janata Dal and Telugu Desam Party (TDP). However, he Refused to elaborate further stating that. “It was not proper to disclose anything at this state.”

His party would not compromise on its stand of not allying with communist parties. The issue would not affect the prospects of the opposition in the election, he said adding that such an alliance did not count in the present political scenario because the communist parties did not matter.”

The BJP would aim to capture a “sizable strength” in the Lok Sabha, able to give direction to the politics of the country, irrespective of whether I am in the Government or out it,” Mr Advani said Mr Advani called for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and to the 17 state Assemblies where they were due. He recalled that the two were delinkd in 1971., when Mrs Gandhi was in power.

The party nominated Mr ViJayara Gavalu as its Tamil Nadu state president. Other office-bearers nominated are: Mr K. G. Swamy, Thiruklvillur Sundaram and Mr, S, Natarajan vice presidents: K. N, Lakshmanan, Mr. T. Sandagopan, Mr R. Gandhi, general secretaries; Mr. E. K. Tangandhi, Mr. C. S.C. Vadivalu and Mr. K. Rejendran, secretaries.

Article extracted from this publication >>  August 18, 1989