NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
A key supporter of the ruling National Democratic Alliance launched a blistering attack on the government on Thursday for failing to check a wave of killings by terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir.
The Rajya Sabha listened in stunned silence as C Ramachandriah of the Telugu Desam Party hit out at Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani for saying that the security forces had notched "significant success" by killing more and more terrorists.
"I fail to understand how the government calls it a success," he said in a stirring 15-minute speech. "People's expectations were high when the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] came to power [in 1998]. We agreed to back this alliance thinking it would deliver the goods, but people's hopes seem to have been belied. The level of confidence in the government seems to be coming down."
Advani wore a stern look as the MP spoke. Other members of the BJP, which heads the NDA, were quiet while most members of the opposition were absent during the debate.
The TDP, with 29 MPs in the Lok Sabha, is the main prop of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's multi-party government. It extends legislative support to the government, but is not a part of it.
Ramachandriah also pointed out the contradiction in the friendly way in which Vajpayee spoke about Pakistan during his summit with President Pervez Musharraf in July and Advani branding Islamabad on Thursday as "an inimical" country.
"Are we living a hypocritical life? Can we achieve success in a summit if we are calling the country inimical? The government needs to come out with a more innovative policy not only for Kashmir but also for the Northeast and other troubled regions," he said.
The outspoken Ramachandriah's speech was the highlight of the day's proceedings in Parliament, which was marred by an opposition walkout in the Lok Sabha to protest against New Delhi's failure to check the separatist violence in Jammu & Kashmir.
Earlier, Advani, number two in the government and considered a hawk, had asserted that the growing terrorist killings of civilians in the state showed that the rebels were getting frustrated with the success of the security forces.
Indo-Asian News Service
Click here for the full text of Home Minister Advani's statement
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
