Gowda Flays Gujral, Gupta

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda yesterday surprised his colleagues at the Lucknow rally by taking on PM I K Gujral and home minister Indrajit Gupta for remaining silent on the atrocities committed on SP workers by BSP-BSP govt.

It is the begining of the erosion of political system and the Centre cannot not remain a silent spectator on such a situation, he said.

Gowda demanded that the Centre should set up a fact-finding committee to go into the alleged atrocities and killing of Samajwadi Party activists during the last three-month-rule of Mayawati.

Addressing an SP sponsored 'Virat Rally at the historic begum Hazrat Mahal Park in Lucknow, Deve Gowda said he would like this fact-finding committee to submit its report within one month and place it before Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon Session next month.

Senior Front leaders were left wondering why Gowda did not raise this point at the United Front Steering Committee which met last week in Delhi. Besides, Mulayam Singh himself, who had earlier complained against the Mayawati governments conduct to Union home minister Indrajit Guprta, had never asked for setting up of a committee.

A senior Front minister said that setting up of a committee was no big deal and therefore it is unlikely that Gowda would be forced to sit on a fast before the UP Assembly, as threatened by him at the Lucknow rally.

The mininister however said that if the Centre decided to set up such a committee, it would have to look into complaints and counter-complaints of both sides - of Mulayam Singhs and that of Mayawati.

Gowdas remarks at the rally yesterday revived exactly what the United Front was just able to avoid after a lot of effort.

Prime Minsiter I K Gujral had decided to stay away from the rally after several Front partners felt that the Central government should not associate itself with the Samajwadi Partys political fight in Uttar Pradesh.

Front convenor and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had openly said that Gujral should not attend the rally. He said that the Front partners should support Mulayam Singh politically and the UF government should stay away from the issue.

Naidu was present at yesterdays rally, as were senior leaders of most Front partners. From the CPI, party general secretary A B Bardhan spoke in the rally. Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta was not present.