Congress heading for showdown with United Front

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

The Congress and the United Front on Friday appeared heading for an imminent collision course with agitated members of the Congress parliamentary party suggesting that the Congress should withdraw support to the central government.

Executive committee members of the CPP also criticised the UF government on other aspects, although party chief Sitaram Kesri appealed to them to confine their criticism to the economic situation and policies.

Briefing mediamen in New Delhi, party spokesman V N Gadgil said that many members spoke out agitatedly against the hostile attitude adopted by the UF government towards Congress leaders and made a ''passing reference" regarding withdrawing support to the 13-party ruling combine.

The spokesman pointed out that Kesri said the CPP members should concentrate on speaking on national issues and those affecting the poor and the downtrodden.

According to Gadgil, Friday's CPP meeting, which lasted for two hours and fifteen minutes, critically discussed the country's economic situation and the UF government's policies which is causing much concern to the Congress. The meeting took note of the deterioration in foreign direct investment, the slowing down of industrial production, and the sharp fall in the rate of exports. It also took note of the "callous attitude" of the UF government to the problems of the northeast, particularly Assam.

Referring to foreign equity in Indian companies, Gadgil said CPP members were critical of the government for trying to increase it, and cited the example of Maruti Udyog, which was a successful enterprise. Gadgil said the Congress was totally opposed to an increase in foreign equity participation. He also referred the proposal of the UF government to give foreign airlines a slice of the domestic sector, underlining that his party was against such a move.

Gadgil announced that the next CPP meeting would be held three days before the impending budget session of Parliament.

The criticism of the UF government by the CPP members on Friday also indicated that the Congress MPs were preparing for a showdown with it during the budget session. Significantly, the presence of United Front ministers Ramakant Khalap and C M Ibrahim at Kesri's iftaar party on Thursday gave rise to speculations that Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had sent his emissaries to pacify the Congress leadership.

Many Congressmen are still agitated that the CBI, allegedly at the government's behest, recently interrogated the Congress president regarding his alleged possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. It is learnt that Khalap and Ibrahim sought to "find out" from the Congress persons present at Kesri's iftaar party the immediate gameplan of the Congress leadership.

However, when asked whether the Congress and the UF would fight it out during the budget sessions on various issues, Gadgil said, "Don't jump to conclusions."

He also disagreed with mediapersons who said that the Congress party's criticism of the government's economic policies showed that party members were against liberalisation.

However, regarding foreign equity in the print and electronic media, Gadgil said the Congress was opposed to the UF government's proposal to allow it.