Pawar Denies Suggesting Basu As Pm

Sharad Pawar, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, yesterday dismissed reports suggesting that he had hinted to partymen in West Bengal that Chief Minister Jyoti Basu desired to become the Prime Minister of the United Front government. At no point of time, none of these visitors (Congress MLAs and activists from West Bengal) raised the issue either of Basus desire to join the UF government at the Centre as Prime Minister, nor did I raise the issue to sound their mind. and to ascertain their views, Pawar said in a statement.

He said this uncalled for controversy is, perhaps, an attempt to distance me from the Congress workers of West Bengal, who are fighting for a genuine cause against the misrule of the local government there, as well as to create confusion in delhi.

Mr pawar said that his recent visit to calcutta was purely confined with rashtriya bhasha prachar samiti on march one and bhasha parishad on march two, which had no relation with any political activities.

Stating that the entire thing was quoted and had been commented out of context without any basis or foundation, he said he categorically deny the reports. Pti spg dpt 03131847 d