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PM, Advani, Sinha sturdiest propellers of reform, says Shourie

Minister of State for Divestment Arun Shourie has strongly denied having criticised Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee over the need for strong leadership to hasten the reforms process.

Reacting strongly to a Financial Times report, Shourie wrote in a rejoinder last week: 'I can testify from personal knowledge that the four sturdiest propellers of reform are Prime Minister Vajpayee, Home Minister L K Advani, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha.'

'Throughout our conversation (with the newspaper's correspondents) I talked about the way the political class as a whole in India has paralysed itself -- how a fractured electorate has been yielding fractured legislatures; and how the resulting paralysis has been compounded by a perverse notion of what being in opposition ought to mean: today, political parties that are out of office at the Centre block what their own governments are doing in the states, which is what they were doing themselves when they were in office,' Shourie said.

'I mentioned explicitly that these basic reasons go beyond individuals. An individual may have the strongest commitment to reform but a configuration of this sort will keep him from getting things done. I just cannot figure out how this was taken to contain some 'implicit criticism' of any individual, much less of Mr Vajpayee,' Shourie stated.

'My impression, in fact, is the opposite of what I am reported to have said 'implicitly'. Time and again, I have seen Mr Vajpayee, Mr Advani and Mr Sinha push through decisions that they knew would not be popular. In my own work -- of privatising India's government enterprises -- I seek, and unfailingly receive, their vigorous support,' Shourie said.

The Financial Times had reported that 'in an implicit criticism of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shourie said that strong leadership was needed to push through fiscal reform'. The newspaper also said Shourie advocated the need to urgently carry out the reforms unveiled in the 2001 Budget.

According to the newspaper, Shourie also criticised the slow workings of the Indian bureaucracy, saying that 'administration in India has degenerated into a system of endless correspondence and meetings as a substitute for action.'

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