Author: Our Special
Correspondent
Publication: The Hindu
Date: July 7, 2000
CALCUTTA, JULY 6.
The Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, today chided the ruling
communists in West Bengal for staying away from the birth centenary function
of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, an early architect of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh.
Though the Deputy Chief
Minister, Mr. Buddhadev Bhattacharya and State Governor, Mr.
Viren J. Shah received Mr. Vajpayee at the airport in the morning,
the Prime Minister expressed his mind at the function in caustic terms
after accusing the communists of intolerance.
Mr. Vajpayee, who
inaugurated the function, spoke mostly on the need for tolerance in the
era of coalition politics.
Mr. Bhattacharya
reacted to Mr. Vajpayee's speech dubbing his criticisms as ``hollow''
as the BJP itself could be faulted on that count. ``Do they have
religious tolerance? Or else why would there be a Babri Mosque demolition?''
Mr. Vajpayee said that the communists should realise that in a multi-party
system, ideological differences were normal. ``But, that does not
mean one should not pay respect to great men like Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.''
To prove how magnanimous
the BJP was, Mr. Vajpayee said that his party had paid tributes to
E.M.S. Namboodiripad, the communist leader, without hesitation.
Mr. Bhattacharya,
he said, explained why the communists had decided to stay away from the
function. The Deputy Chief Minister had told him that he could not
attend the function because of sharp ideological differences with Shyama
Prasad Mukherjee. ``I would not like to criticise him in your presence,''
Mr. Bhattacharya had said.
Taking off from the issue
of the communists' absence in the function, Mr. Vajpayee said that
political parties especially those in the Opposition should realise that
coalition politics had become the order of the day and parties should come
together at least in some areas in the nation's interest. ``We have
entered the era of coalition politics. We should forget our differences
at some point and work together for the country's benefit,'' Mr.
Vajpayee said.
Mr. Vajpayee said
the concept of coalition could be traced to the time when Shyama Prasad
Mukherjee joined the coalition government of Fazlul Haque in Bengal.
``The Ganatantrik Morcha he (Shyama Prasad Mukherjee) formed then has now
taken the shape of the NDA .''
