HVK Archives: Gowda decides to go soft on Sena-BJP government
Gowda decides to go soft on Sena-BJP government - The Economic Times
Pramod Pagedar
()
20 January 1997
Title : Gowda decides to go soft on Sena-BJP government
Author : Pramod Pagedar
Publication : The Economic Times
Date : January 20, 1997
The Prime Minister, Mr H D Deve Gowda's visit to the city late last
week must have come as a revelation of sorts for many in the
political circles, particularly his United Front colleagues here.
Mr Gowda chose to be his inscrutable best when a delegation of his
party colleagues led by the veteran leader, Mrs Mrinal Gore, called
on him to demand dismissal of the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition
government for its "failure" on the law and order front, with
particular reference to the gruesome murder of trade union leader,
Datta Samant.
The prime minister, acting on the delegation's request, called on
the bereaved Samant family immediately on his arrival here on
Friday.
He, however, ignored Mrs Gore's caution against his attending a
dinner party hosted in his honour by the city Congress chief, Mr
Mural Doer at the Taj hotel the same day. He would hear nothing of
her plea that it would not behove of the prime minister and a
senior JD leader of his standing to have attended a five-star
dinner when the city was observing a Bandh to pay homage to the
slain labour leader.
However, the climax came quite unexpectedly, immediately after the
Taj dinner when few journalists, who were present, managed to quiz
Mr Gowda over some important national issues in an informal
interaction with him.
Wouldn't he consider taking an action against the Sena-BJP
government now that Mr Samant's murder had provided him with an
excuse' to do so. Pat came the reply, "one such incident cannot be
the basis (for the dismissal of a government). These things do
happen though they are unfortunate."
The prime minister went a step further to add, "Do you want the
statistics of crimes committed in Delhi every day? Nearly 60 per
cent of people, who call on me during the Janata Darbar, complain
of a murder, rape or a kidnapping that has affected each of them."
Mr Gowda's retort must surely warm the cockles of the Sena supremo,
Mr Bal Thackeray, and others in the two party alliance. It will be
interpreted in the ruling circles as Mr Gowda's reluctance to even
criticise the coalition government, much less dismiss it.
It may be recalled the prime minister had stirred the hornet's nest
last year when, during his maiden visit to Mumbai after assuming
office in Delhi, he had held a 90 minute-long close-door session
with the Sena chief at filmstar, Amitabh Bachchan's residence here.
Though Mr Gowda had denied having discussed politics with Mr
Thackeray, speculation was rife later that the Sena supremo had
offered the support of 15-member strong Sena group in the Lok Sabha
to the UF government in the event of a political crisis.
Whatever may have transpired at the Bachchan residence, the prime
minister left none in doubt then and during his visit here last
week that toppling of the Sena-BJP government is not on his agenda,
at least for now.
This is likely to cause a severe disappointment in the state
Congress camp, which had begun to nurture hopes of the coalition
government's ouster, with the improvement in the political fortunes
of Mr Sharad Pawar.
Back
Top
|
