Author: Our Special Correspondent
Publication: The Hindu
Date: November 22, 2002
URL: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/11/22/stories/2002112205461100.htm
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
today continued its earlier attack on the Chief Election Commissioner,
J.M. Lyngdoh, saying that his description of the Gujarat situation as "nasty"
was a "nasty statement" from him.
The party spokesperson, V.K. Malhotra,
virtually defended the party's criticism of the CEC, a constitutional authority,
saying Mr. Lyngdoh was "not a holy cow". If the CEC made any statements
that the BJP did not consider appropriate, certainly the party had the
right to criticise him, Mr. Malhotra said, even while adding that he had
never criticised Mr. Lyngdoh.
The party's anger was the result
of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's reference to the failure of the
Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, to condemn the BJP's earlier criticism
of Mr. Lyngdoh. Ignoring the remarks made by the Gujarat Chief Minister,
Narendra Modi, on Mr. Lyngdoh's Christian birth - he has repeatedly talked
about the Vatican and the Church and has also referred to Ms. Gandhi and
Mr. Lyngdoh as co-religionists - Mr. Malhotra claimed that the BJP had
never said anything about the CEC being a Christian. "The BJP has never
criticised his Christian credentials."
Well after the Supreme Court's pronouncement
on the presidential reference (which was born out of the Gujarat situation),
Mr. Malhotra continued tirade against the Election Commission for not holding
the elections in the State earlier. (The Court has stated that the elections
could have been held any time within six months of dissolution of the Assembly.)
But on the Shiv Sena chief, Bal
Thackeray's criticism of Mr. Advani, it was "no comment" from Mr. Malhotra,
who pleaded that he had neither read Mr. Thackeray's comments nor heard
them on television. "I would recommend that Mr. Thackeray read the text
of the speech given by Mr. Advani during the Gujarat debate. He would have
been pleased as for the first time inside the House, Mr. Advani acknowledged
Hindutva (`Pehli dafa sadan mein hindutva ko sweekar kiya hai')."
Mr. Thackeray's criticism followed
some harsh comments on Mr. Advani by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders,
Vishnu Hari Dalmiya and Ashok Singhal. But with the Gujarat election around
the corner the BJP does not want to join issue with the Sangh Parivar or
allies such as the Shiv Sena.