NEW DELHI: Senior Congress(I) leaders in India are in jitters as the mass base of the B.J.P_is growing in the country, Ordinary Congress(I) workers have lost their traditional political moorings and are at a loss to understand what to do to cope with the B_J.P. threat. At the top level, human resources development minister Arjun Singh who comes from BJ.P.’s stronghold Madhya Pradesh is an extremely worried man. He feels upset at the week kneed policies of Prime Minister Narasimha Rao vis-à-vis the B.J.P. and his close confidants hold Rao responsible for the demolition of the Babri masjid and the subsequent anti-Muslim riots.
It is in this Scenario that the Indian ruling party is holding its two-day session at Surajkund in Haryana beginning March 27.On the eve of the session; Aun Singh issued a strongly worded statement underlining the need to wage a relentless struggle against the BJ.P. And indirectly holding Rao responsible for not waging such a struggle. That is perhaps why he insists on Rao shedding the party post under the one person one post principle, Arjun Singh’s statement created an internal crisis for the party whose working committee met for more than seven hours to thrash out differences and to force the dissident minister not to repeat such anti Rao statements, Political observers feel that the ‘prime minister is in no position to ‘Confront the human resources minister although Rao’s supporters want his removal from the ministry and the party. The Sonia Gandhi factor has a lot to do with the prime minister’s reluctance. Gandhi recently frowned, upon a Statement said to have been issued by a group of prime minister’s Joyalists blaming Rajiv Gandhi for the emergence of BJP. To its present size, this was done cvi gently as a reply to the charge that Rao is soft towards Hindu fundamentalists and that he was responsible for the demolition of the Babri masjid.
Pressure is mounting on Rao to give up the party post. The candidate is said to be N.D. Tewari who hails from U.P. Ray may have to bring about changes in the party set up in the A.I.C.C, session later this week. Meanwhile, the crisis in the Congress(I) seemed to persist with the Union minister for human resource development, Arjun Singh, emphatically denying reports suggesting that he has withdrawn his controversial statement issued on March 21 which has been widely interpreted as an attack on Prime Minister Rao.
“The statement was only my articulation of the issues that need to be discussed to fight the forces of communalism and not an accusation against any person and/or office and neither was it so intended. ‘If any reference in the statement gives this interpretation directly ‘or indirectly, the same are withdrawn,” Singh clarified in a Statement within two hours of the party’s official briefing by V.N.Gadgil on Tuesday, Interestingly, the words used by Singh in his clarification are same as those of the AICC (I) press note on the deliberation of an overnight emergency CWC meeting, Requisitioned by four CWC members 0 specifically discuss Arjun Singh’s controversial statement. Though the CWC meeting, which concluded after a 10hour tong session at 3:30 am on Tuesday, clearly “disapproved” Singh’s Statement and “felt that the issuance of the statement was a violation of the CWC resolution” prohibiting senior leaders against going public with their grievances, Singh had a different version. “I have withdrawn the inferences, not the statement,” he said categorically while explaining in the same vein that “some misunderstanding might have inadvertently come in and for which I do not blame the official spokesman.” Besides, he asserted: Whatever I am doing is within the parameters ‘of party discipline.”
Meanwhile, party spokesman, C.L.Chandrakar, denied having stated that Singh has withdrawn his statement.
These assertions of Arjun Singh clearly indicate that the CWC meeting has failed to resolve the controversy ignited by Arjun Singh’s statement, and that the developments were a lull before the storm which Raobaiters propose to raise at the two-day AICC (I) meeting beginning March De However, despite the brave front being put up by the HRD minister, Sources say that Arjun Singh was completely concerned at the CWC meeting. “It was Arjun Singh versus the rest,” saida CWC member pointing out how Singh distanced himself from the dissenter’s demand for Rao’s resignation as Congress (I) president.
In fact, the CWC “unanimously reiterated that under the able leadership of the prime minister and the Congress president, Narasimha Rao, the Congress will overcome the various complex problems faced by the nation today.” The CWC also appealed to all party leaders “to stand united under the leadership of Shri P.Y.Narasimha Raoji, the Congress president and prime minister.” The repeated reference of Rao as party president and prime Minister is being explained as a signal to the dissenters about the impossibility of taking up their resolution demanding strickt imposition of One man One post Singh, when asked for his stand on the dissenters demand for a secret ballot on the one man one post demand, said: They have a right to demand, what can I say.”
On Tuesday morning, soon after the CWC meeting was over, Singh told newspersons al his residence that he was “satisfied” with the “serious and fruitful deliberations” and that the party would henceforth work as a “team.” Saying that he had always strove to work for the unity of the party and the Integrity of the country, Singh, however, evaded a reply when asked whether
Following the CWC meeting he has changed his views over the party’s ability to confront the communal forces under the leadership of Rao.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 26, 1993
