Congress Will Not Destabilise Uf Govt, Assures Kesri

Congress President Sitaram Kesri yesterday declared that Congress would not destablise the United Front government.

However, his party loyalists insisted that the statement was part of a carefully drafted strategy which was aimed at letting the confusion over the Congresss attitude to the Government continue. The criticism of the functioning of the ruling United Front by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) should not be treated as a threat to the Gujral government, Kesri said yesterday.

The Congress is not going to destablise the United Front government and our support will continue, Kesri said. He, however, did not elaborate how long the support would continue.

Even as the news was flashed on the wire service, some senior party leaders made available to selected journalists, copies of the action plan adopted at the CWC on Saturday. The action plan says that the next four months will be crucial for the party. This was interpreted by the party leaders who gave the document as a four-month ultimatum to the government.

What you call as confusion could actually be part of a carefully drafted strategy, a senior party leader considered close to Kesri told Business Standard.

However, another leader who belongs to the anti-Kesri camp, insisted that Kesri was not in a position to withdraw support and that he was outmanouvred in the CWC by other leaders in passing a strongly critical resolution against the government in the CWC.

There appeared to be clear divide among the party leaders on interpreting the CWC resolution, indicating that the party actually diferred on its next course or over the timing of pulling the rug from under the feet of the government.

In his interview to PTI, Kesri said that as a supporting party, the Congress will criticise the government when it does something wrong.

Kesri said the gujral government had faced more criticism from the united front constituents than the congress party and recalled how the janata dal president, mr sharad yadav, had openly flayed the Prime Minister on the floor of the Lok Sabha.

He also pointed out that left party leaders often criticised the government functioning while addressing their workers.

Referring to Saturdays resolution adopted by the partys working committee criticising the UF governments functioning, Kesri said it is just a suggestion..... It is not an ultimatum.

Gujral in his capacity as the Prime Minister will unfurl the National Flag, Kesri reiterated, adding Gujral is the lone person in the United Front who can be described as close to the Congress culture and traditions. He is also a good person and a thorough gentleman.

Recalling how his meeting with President K.R. Narayany recently created panicin the United Front camp, Kesri said it was just a courtesy call.

Replying to a question about the former prime minister, mr h d deve gowdas remarks against the Congress party, Kesri said all I can say is that Deve Gowda does not have a national vision. Gowda had on sunday criticised the Congress for supporting the RJD in Bihar to the rabri devi government and had stated that a pre-poll agreement between congress and u f to fight the bjp was impossible.

The congress president said i have nothing against deve gowda but he should rise above personal politics.

Kesri had withdrawn support to H D Deve Gowda led government which had then led to the installation of the Gujral as Prime Minsiter. Kesri had pulled down the Gowda government on the ground that Gowda was working to weaken the Congress.

Kesri had also given an undertaking to the President to establish a consultation mechanism with the United Front. Later it was said that Kesri would have direct consultation with Gujral.

The Sundays CWC charge sheet against the government has raised the question as to whether the consultation mechanism failed.