'It appears the United Front government is determined to marginalise the Congress and to allow urgent national issues to take a back seat'

Congress president Sitaram Kesri handed the following letter to President Shankar Dayal Sharma on withdrawing his party's support to the United Front government.

Respected Rashtrapatiji,

The Congress Working Committee extended its support to the 13-party coalition United Front to form a government at the Centre by a resolution dated 12th of May, 1996. The Congress Working Committee reviewed its decision on two subsequent occasions, on 4th November, 1996 and 16th February 1997.

In these two meetings, the Congress Working Committee reviewed the performance of the United Front government headed by Mr H D Deve Gowda. The CWC expressed its concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, drift in the economy leading to rising prices and unemployment, growing communal menace and lack of cohesive functioning of the government. The principle of collective responsibility of the Cabinet was completely ignored which is imperative for any parliamentary form of government.

The very basis of the support of the Congress party to the United Front government led by Mr H D Deve Gowda was to contain the communal forces and consolidate the secular forces. This objective was reiterated in the resolution of the Congress Working Committee dated 16th February, 1997. It appealed to the United Front government to critically review its own performance.

The Congress is constrained to note that the UF has failed to provide the leadership necessary to consolidate the forces of secularism and to confront the forces of communalism. In UP, Punjab, and series of bye elections the UF failed to work together with Congress to contain the forces of communalism. On the other hand the anti-Congressism which was the main objective of non- Congress political parties is still dominant in the constituent units of the UF. They have not come out of their old mooring.

I myself expressed our concern to constituent parties of the United Front and requested them to take corrective measures but unfortunately nothing happened. It appears that the efforts of the United Front government headed by Mr H D Deve Gowda are determined to marginalise the Congress and to allow urgent national issues to take a back seat. The law and order situation of the country today has completely collapsed. In the state of Uttar Pradesh where the central government was directly responsible for its administration, the Union home minister was constrained to observe that the situation there was heading towards ''anarchy, chaos and destruction."

The sensitive defence issues and security requirement of the country have not been properly addressed. There is an overall demoralising effect in the civic services and in various organs of the government.

Lack of coordination, direction and will to govern have created a situation of drift. Comunal, divisive and separatist forces are raising their heads in almost every part of the country and there is no serious effort to arrest this. I am enclosing copies of two resolutions dated 4th November, 1996 and 16th February, 1997 for your kind perusal and ready reference.

In view of the changed situation, the Congress party is compelled to withdraw its support from the United Front government headed by Mr H D Deve Gowda with immediate effect. I take this opportunity of requesting you to take such steps as you consider necessary.

With respect and personal regards,

Yours sincerely, (Sitaram Kesri).

Rediff On The NeT has invited Marxist MP Somnath Chatterjee to discuss the political situation in the country on the Rediff Chat. He will be on the Rediff Chat at 2000 hours IST (0930 hours EDT) on April 1. Be there!