NEW DELHI: It has been a week ‘off rethinking for Prime Minister # V. Narasimha Rao since the Monsoon session of the Parliaments began.
“Recently, when he called upon a rally of adulating congressmen at ‘Red Fort grounds to observe 1995 as a year of thinking,” it sounded like an imperial fireman, Events unfolding subsequently however, saw Rao engaged in desperate fire- fighting operation inside his own citadel.
The kind of mobilization caused ‘By the “action taken report” on PC recommendations and R. Venkataraman’s remarks about ‘Rajiv Gandhi among the Congress Ps have made the Rao camp Jittery. Its woes have been compounded by increased assertiveness by 10 Janpath, where Sonia Gandhi is being pressed by Rajiv loyalists to take more interest in politics.
The general discontent among party men was also conveyed to the PM by the office-berets of the CPC recently.
As time ticks on, there is a danger that Congress MPs frustration and ire, which is till now aimed at Rao’s political managers could be redirected toward the PM himself.
“We wonder why he is bent on defending the scam-tainted ministers when he kept mum at Rajivji’s denigration,” a member of Rao’s council of ministers was openly telling his friends in the central hall last week.
Recently, Congress MPs owing loyalty to Rajiv Gandhi had taken strong exception to the party High Command’s silence over “objectionable remarks” against Rajiv Gandhi in Venkataraman’s book. When the party spokesman persisted on offering “comments” to Statements condemning Venkataraman’s comments from ex-ministers ML Fotedar, Shiv Shankar, Sheila Dixit, KK Tewari etc even after Sonia Gandhi ex- pressed her unhappiness to Rao, they decided that enough was enough.
The signature campaign launched by Rajiv loyalists led by Murli Deora gained so much momentum that the High Command was forced to break its silence on the issue and “dissociate” itself from Venkataraman’s remarks. Having tasted blood, Rajiv brigade appears in no mood to give up its fight for a more effective say in the party’s management.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 5, 1994
