Gowda Drops Plan To Fast Unto Death

In the face of opposition from the Janata Dals Uttar Pradesh unit, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has called off his proposed fast unto death in Lucknow from August 15 on the issue of alleged atrocities on workers of the Samajwadi Party.

Instead, an eight-member team of MPs from both houses of parliament would visit the state for two days from August 22, and prepare a report on the alleged victimisation of SP workers by the Mayawati government. Gowdas plan to go on a fast unto death in support of the SP had unnerved the Janata Dal, particularly the state unit which wanted that he should undertake an agitation plan under the banner of the United Front.

The plan, if put to effect, would have created yet another crisis for the Janata Dal as well as the I K Gujral government.

At a rally on June 19, Gowda had announced that a United Front team would go into the alleged cases of atrocities. If not, he would undertake a fast unto death in front of the secretariat at Lucknow.

Since such a team had not been constituted for various reasons, hectic efforts were made to ensure that Gowda does not go ahead with his plan, which led to the decision to send the team of United Front MPs to the state.

The team includes Wasim Ahmed and Narainswamy (Janata Dal), N N Godha and Ramendra Kumar (CPI), and Amar Singh, Brij Bhushan Tiwari (SP).

The team would be given a list of cases of alleged atrocities, and would inform parliament about their findings. This, however, would be possible only in the winter session of Parliament.