Sandesh Prabhudesai
29 August 1999
Prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has challenged Congress president
Sonia Gandhi to bring any evidence to prove her allegation that the prime minister’s
office is involved in corruption.
At a press conference held at INS Hansa, Dabolim here before leaving
for Mangalore, Vajpayee strongly reacted to Mrs Gandhi’s public allegation, calling
it "irresponsible and baseless charge which I cast aside with the contempt it
deserves".
"Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s remarks clearly seem to be a product of
frustration over the looming defeat for her party in the coming elections", alleged
the prime minister.
Stating that he has upheld the imperative of probity and transparency
in the government and especially in the high places, Vajpayee pointed out that he has
fought against corruption from the forefront throughout his 40 years of Parliamentary
life.
"In fact it is the BJP which has been consistently campaigning for
including the PMO in the ambit of the Lok Pal bill while the Congress has opposed this
provision", he observed.
While once again refuting the observation that the BJP has diluted its
agenda of Ram Mandir, Article 370 and common civil code, he said they have put a
moratorium on them and adopted the common manifesto for the National Democratic Alliance.
However, when asked whether the BJP would bring the issues to the
forefront when it forms its own party government without forming a coalition in future,
Vajpayee preferred to skilfully avoid a direct reply. "Let us concentrate on
today", he said.
He also made it clear that the NDA would form a coalition government
even if the BJP gets clear majority to form the government. "The NDA would get clear
majority", he said, flaying predictions by leaders like Sharad Pawar and Mulayam
Singh Yadav that the polls would throw up a hung Parliament.
When a journalist pointed out that the Akali Dal has included
implementation of Anandpur Saheb resolution in its party agenda, the prime minister
clarified that it is not part of the NDA’s common manifesto, which has been accepted
by the Akali Dal. "There is no separate agenda for Punjab", he added.
He also flayed the threats of boycotting elections issued in the
Kashmir valley, stating that such threats did not work even last time. "However, any
attempt to stop the people from going to the polling booths would be foiled", he
warned.
While also denying once again that the BJP is trying to capitalise the
Kargil victory to woo the electorate, the prime minister instantly shot back : "they
are free to congratulate our brave jawans. Nobody has prevented them from doing so".
He however declined to comment on the issue of how Pak intruders could
cross the LoC stating that the committee report is awaited. "Do you want to me to
reply to that fantastic charge?’, he asked when tried to seek his reaction to the
charge made by Admiral (retd) Bhagawat that it would be the last election in the country
if the BJP-led government comes to power this time.
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