NEW DELHI: Naresh India’s Ambassador to the Bill Clinton recently, is be recalled from Washington soon.
Although a decision on his recall is yet to be formalized, highly placed sources in the ruling United Front.
(UF) last week said that Chandra’s continuance in Washington had become untenable in view of his close identification with the Ayodhya policy of the previous Congress Government.
Chandra, who handled the Ayodhya crisis as cabinet secretary until mid1992, was subsequently appointed by the then Congress Government as adviser to the Prime Minister on Ayodhya.
Top UF sources said Chandra’s identification with the Ayodhya policy of the Narasimha Rao Government at the time the Babri Masjid was demolished was complete and, therefore, his association with the present Government which put secularism above everything close was unacceptable.
But Chandra’s role before and up to December, 1992 is not the only factor within the ruling party which is working against his continued stay in Washington.
Many UF leaders are upset over the way Chandra was chosen Ambassador, almost on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections, and the manner in which he responded to the appointment.
‘They are irritated that Chandra, who was then Governor of Gujarat, reached New Delhi after his appointment and drove to the 6, Raisina Road residence of BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee on the very day he arrived in the Capital.
The BJP subsequently lattice known that Chandra had called on Vajpayee to seek his “blessings” in his new ambassadorial assignment. Although the BJP took the public stand that important diplomatic postings just before the elections should be avoided, UF leaders believe this was only a preform a protest against his appointment Several UF leaders are convinced’ that a BJP Government would have: allowed Chandra to stay on in Washington. Indeed, they believe that he agreed to renounce the Raj Bhawan in’ Gujarat and proceed to the US only Ont the assumption that the Government’ which assumed power in New Delhi would either be led by the Congress on the BJP. It is not yet clear how Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and External Affairs Minister 1.K. Gujral felt about the growing opinion within the UF in, favor of Chandra’s recall. But the impression within the ruling party is; that neither of them may have much choice in the matter.
If Chandra’s assignment in Washington is, indeed, terminated, this will be the second time that Gujral will be recalling an Ambassador from Washington soon after assuming charges on South Block. During Gujarat’s earlier stint as External Affairs Minister be was in the V.P. Singh government Karan Singh, who was appointed as envoy (6 the US by the Rajiy Gandhi administration, sent in his resignation.
It was well known at that time that Singh would have liked to have stayed on as Ambassador, but his resignation ‘was promptly accepted by the VP, Singh Government, practically making it a recall.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 5, 1996
