Cong mulls Antulay reply
RADHIKA RAMASESHAN
New Delhi, Dec. 20: The government is working on the details of a statement it is expected to make in Parliament next week on Union minister A.R. Antulay’s comment on the killing of Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad chief Hemant Karkare.
Given the serious political ramifications of the minority affairs minister’s remarks, within and outside India, the ruling Congress was still undecided on who should make the statement: it could be a mea culpa from Antulay, as railway minister Lalu Prasad suggested.
Antulay could be asked to stress Pakistan’s “role” in Karkare’s death and de-link it from the Malegaon blasts probe the ATS chief was carrying out, involving RSS activists.
The statement could also be a clarification from a senior cabinet minister.
Sources suggested an expression of admission from Antulay was “more expedient” as it would serve the purpose of distancing the government from the controversy he created. The sources also hoped that an articulation from Antulay would better placate the Opposition.
A “clarification” in the conventional parliamentary sense “could throw up more questions than answer them,” a minister said.
“If we support Antulay, we end up alienating large sections of opinion-makers and weaken our case vis-a-vis Pakistan. If we oppose him, he will have to go,” the minister said.
The Congress core committee, which met at the Prime Minister’s residence, mulled over the merits and de-merits of each option but couldn’t zero in on one.
A suggestion that Antulay’s reported resignation offer be accepted instantly was rejected because the leaders were “concerned” about how it would go down with Muslims.
Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, sources said, were “flooded” with messages from Muslims across the country, endorsing Antulay’s comments.
“Antulay has done whatever damage he needed to. Why should we exacerbate it by throwing him out?” asked a leader.
Some felt the Congress should not allow the Mumbai massacre to dominate its agenda.
“We dropped three ministers to make the government seem accountable. Surely, we can’t empty out the cabinet in deference to the so-called public sentiment,” a source said.
There was a proposal that once Parliament met on Monday, the UPA should target BJP leader Jaswant Singh’s TV interview. Singh, who was external affairs minister in the NDA government when terrorists had hijacked a civilian aircraft, was heard saying that if the “Kandahar episode” was to repeat itself, his response would also be the same: give Pakistani terrorists safe passage in lieu of saving the passengers on board.
“We will demand that Singh should step down as the leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha,” a minister said.
The above is from "The Telegraph"
It seems that the effects of the public wrath on the politicians in the aftermath of the Mumbai Massacre has worn off.
They are back to normal with their vote bank politics.
The congress is in no mood to take action on A R Antulay, because of the Muslim votes, although he has offered to resign, .
Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, were “flooded” with messages from Muslims across the country, endorsing Antulay’s comments.
So, instead, if they are "flooded" with messages from across the country critisizing Antulay's comments, they will take action.
What a country? My India which we call Great, is indeed VERY GREAT.
IT IS RUN ON MESSAGES.
It seems realty TV has affected the functioning of the Government of India.
If you want to support Antulay's comment you type "AUNT" space Y. If you do not support his comments the type "AUNT" space N.
Thank you Aunt Sonia.
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