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BJP, Parivar agree to cooperate
Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi |
May 03, 2003 23:02 IST
The three-day Bharatiya Janata Party-Sangh Parivar conclave ended in New Delhi on Saturday with the two sides agreeing to enhance cooperation and consult each other on key issues.
The Parivar, during the conclave, expressed its dissatisfaction with the developments on the Kashmir front, a senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader told rediff.com. Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's approach towards militancy left a lot to be desired, according to him.
On Indo-Pak ties, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders asked Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee not to go overboard, given his own sorry experience with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, according to the VHP leader.
Being too friendly towards Pakistan, which will not stop cross-border terrorism, can be construed as a sign of weakness, he quoted RSS leaders as having told the BJP.
On the question of Ayodhya, he said Hindus wanted a Ram temple and the government's 'delaying tactics' in this regard were not appreciated.
Later, RSS spokesman Ram Madhav quoted Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani as telling the assembly that many Inter-Services Intelligence modules in India had been destroyed and its operatives arrested.
Madhav said the entire exercise was aimed at having a 'free and frank' exchange of views.
On contentious economic issues, it was agreed that the labour minister would hold consultations with RSS trade union affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh.
Swadeshi Jagran Manch and BMS leaders raised apprehensions over the upcoming World Trade Organisation talks in Cancun, the divestment process, including that in the oil sector.
"They gave their suggestions to the BJP leaders and it was felt that some more attention needs to be paid while dealing with issues of WTO," Madhav said.
He said while no fresh directions were issued to the Parivar outfits, it was expected that after three days of discussions the 'criticism will be of issues, not of individuals or organisations'.
Madhav said that while the general political situation in the country came up for discussions, the upcoming assembly or Lok Sabha polls did not figure in the deliberations.
"The growing trend of caste-based politics was discussed but there was no discussion on Uttar Pradesh," he said.
RSS president K S Sudarshan, VHP leaders Ashok Singhal and Pravin Togadia and BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu were among those who attended the conclave.
With Inputs from the Press Trust of India