Author: Pioneer News Service/New
Delhi/Patna
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: June 18, 2002
The Time magazine is under fire
from various quarters. While the Government has reacted sharply to the
unseemly article on the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's health, terming
it "completely biased" and "baseless," the National Democratic Alliance
is also upset and sees the article as part of a conspiracy by the forces
hostile to India.
An External Affairs Ministry spokesperson
said on Monday in response to a question, "Our views in this regard have
been made known to the editor. It certainly doesn't fall into the category
of the kind of reporting expected from Time magazine." She added that it
was "completely without foundation. It is baseless and ill-advised. It
is a completely biased and ill-informed article."
The political leadership is also
upset with the article. Union Home Minister L K Advani on Monday rubbished
the article against the Prime Minister. He called the report a "bundle
of untruths." He added that the entire episode was surprising and malicious.
Defence Minister George Fernandes
feels that it was part of a conspiracy by forces hostile to India. Senior
Samata Party Nitish Kumar has also demanded an unqualified apology from
the magazine. BJP spokesperson Vijay Kumar Malhotra said it was a baseless
but mischievous report.
"These forces were trying to take
advantage by showing the Indian leadership in poor light," Mr Fernandes
said in his speech at the national council of the party on Sunday in Vijaywada.
The contents of his speech were provided by the party spokesman Shambhu
Srivastva here. Mr Fernandes said that the Government and the people should
take serious note of it and identify the people who were behind it.
Mr Srivastva said such news reports
about him are absurd. Without elaborating, he accused "forces within the
country to have aligned with the outside forces to malign the country's
leadership." He accused the western powers of having two policies regarding
its fight against terrorism. One is for the west of Pakistan and other
is for the east of it, he said.
Mr Srivastva said that the article
is meant to serve two purposes. One, it is meant to weaken the resolve
of the country to fight terrorism. Two, they want to create an impression
that the nuclear weapons of India are in unsafe hands. This is meant to
create an atmosphere for intervention by the western powers, Samata Party
spokesman said.
Railway Minister Nitish Kumar said,
"The story is in very cheap taste. This is no way to write about the Prime
Minister of the nation." He was talking to newspersons at the Patna railway
station after flagging off the inaugural run of the Lok Jansatabdi Express
between Patna and Katihar.
Condemning the write-up as an attempt
to lower the dignity of the nation, Mr Kumar said it had affected the sensitivity
of 100 crore Indians. "We seek an apology from the magazine," he said.
