REPORT
AICC
DIARY
02.05.2002
: Shri Jaipal Reddy briefed the press. Copies of the Congress
Party's motion in Rajya Sabha, Articles 355 and 356 were
distributed to the press.
Shri
Jaipal Reddy said that the Government of India has agreed
to the wording of the motion moved by the Congress Party
in Rajya Sabha. Article 355 confers on the Union Government
the duty to ensure that the Government in the States is
carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
Once Government agrees to such a resolution, it inevitably
implies that the conditions in Gujarat have been so abnormal
that governance in Gujarat has not been carried on according
to constitutional provisions.
Shri
Jaipal Reddy clarified that Shri Anil Shastri continues
to be Secretary of the AICC, apart from being Editor of
the Congress Sandesh. He also continues to be a member of
the Media Committee.
03.05.2002
: Shri Jaipal Reddy and Shri Abhishek Singhvi briefed the
press. Shri Jaipal Reddy said that there have been many
reports in the recent weeks that suggested that the official
inquiry has shown that there was no pre-planned conspiracy
behind the Godhra incident.
Shri
Abhishek Singhvi said that the Supreme Court has actually
directed the Election Commission to formulate a comprehensive
set of guidelines, which will now be formulated through
legislation or rule-making power.
06.05.2002
: Shri Jaipal Reddy and Shri Abhishek Singhvi briefed the
press. Shri Jaipal Reddy said that we condemn the inflammatory
statements made by Ashok Singhal, yesterday at Lucknow.
In our view, Mr. Ashok Singhal is not a representative of
Hindu society in any sense. For the absolutely inflammatory
utterances he made yesterday, he should be booked under
the law.
Asked
whether the Congress Party and the opposition parties are
exploring the possibility of putting up a joint candidate
for Lok Sabha Speaker, Shri Jaipal Reddy said that so far
there has been no consultation with the opposition parties
including the Congress Party.
07.05.2002
: Shri Abhishek Singhvi briefed the press. Shri Abhishek
Singhvi said that the Congress President constituted a relief
committee under the Chairmanship of Mr. Ahmed Patel, with
the brief to organize relief work in Gujarat and arrange
for supply of relief material. Secondly, she instructed
Congress Chief Ministers in various states and PCC Presidents
to organize the dispatch of relief material speedily. Thirdly,
a Gujarat Rahat Samiti was organized and it swung into action.
In early March, a relief material depot was established
at the Karnavati Club Campus on the Ahmedabad - Gandhinagar
Highway. Fourthly, as many as 119 relief camps were established
directly by and under the auspices of the Gujarat Rahat
Samiti.
Shri
Singhvi said the consistent stand of the Congress Party
that the election to the post of Speaker should be, as far
as possible, by consensus and unanimity.
09.05.2002
: Shri Jaipal Reddy briefed the press. Shri Jaipal Reddy
said that our Chief Whip, Shri Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi gave
a notice of breach of privilege against the honourable Prime
Minister. The Prime Minister made a certain speech in Goa
on the 10th of April. There is a substantive
contradiction between the speech he made in Goa and the
one he quoted in Lok Sabha.
Quoting
from the Hindi text of the speech in Goa, Shri Jaipal Reddy
pointed out that the relevant word was added in the text
of the Prime Minister's speech in Parliament. This was a
deliberate inclusion as part of an afterthought. The text
of his speech in Goa gives the impression that the Prime
Minister was seeking to tar the entire Muslim community
with one long black brush.
Shri
Jaipal Reddy said' that the word, ^,sls* in his
Hindi speech divides Muslims into two groups. In the English
translation the word `Such' has been added. We are objecting
to the deliberate subsequent insertion of the word ^,sls*
in the text that he quoted from when he spoke in the
Lok Sabha. It is clearly tantamount to misleading the House
and thus committing a breach of privilege of the House.
13.05.2002
: Shri Jaipal Reddy, Shri Anand Sharma and Shri Abhishek
Singhvi briefed the press. Copies of a letter written by
the Congress President to the Prime Minister were distributed
to the press.
Shri
Jaipal Reddy said that the Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant
Sinha, should have disclosed this personal connection the
moment Mr. Chaturvedi of Flex Industries was caught red-handed
while bribing the Chief Excise Commissioner of Delhi, Mr.
Mishra five months back. This is not the first time that
Mr. Yashwant Sinha has had a brush with corrupt people.
Asked
whether there would be an understanding between the Government
and the opposition on the President of India as was the
case in the election of the Speaker, Shri Jaipal Reddy said
that the issue of Speaker cannot be confused with the election
of President of India. If the Prime Minister talks to Congress
Party we will naturally give a reaction to his proposal.
Shri
Jaipal Reddy said that everyone knows about the character
of the electoral college of the President of India. No single
entity commands 51% in the electoral college. Therefore,
all parties will have to move carefully on this question.
In our view it is not a partisan question, we will have
to chose a person as President, who understands the working
of the Constitution and who has the courage and integrity
to uphold the Constitution. Shri Anand Sharma announced
the names of four candidates for Goa Assembly elections.
14.05.2002
: Shri Jaipal Reddy and Shri Anand Sharma briefed the press.
Shri Reddy said that we express our horror and shock
at the huge suicide attack that occurred in Jammu this morning.
In which so many men, women, children were killed. We seriously
condemn this dastardly act. It's one more example of Pakistan
sponsored atrocity. We express our heartfelt sympathy with
all the bereaved families.
On
being asked why was it that whenever there is an American
leader scheduled to visit India such activity steps up and
don't you think that it is an Intelligence failure Shri
Jaipal Reddy said that, the government should have been
more alert, this could have been anticipated. It has happened
before also when President Clinton arrived in India. I am
not saying this happened only because of her visit. But
the possibility of such happening would always be higher,
whenever foreign dignitaries visit India, as it is also
one way of Pakistan trying to internationalise the issue
of Kashmir.
16.05.2002
: Shri Jaipal Reddy, Shri Anand Sharma and Shri Abhishek
Singhvi briefed the press.
Shri
Jaipal Reddy said that Mr. Yashwant Sinha tried to explain
away his connection with the Flex Industries. He has not
given a point-by-point rebuttal of the allegations levelled
against him in the House and outside. He did not clarify
all the points. For example, he did not say why he did not
disclose the conflict of interest when Mr. Chaturvedi was
caught in a case relating to his own Ministry.
On
the Women's Reservation Bill, Shri Jaipal Reddy said that
the Congress Party is sincerely and profoundly committed
to the scheme of reservations for women in legislatures.
To
a question on whether the Congress Party would support Shri
Narayanan as President for a second term Shri Jaipal Reddy
said that we think he has been a magnificent President but
as for the second term we have not taken a view as we do
not know about the Government's view, we do not know about
the view of the President himself.
Asked
about the NDA on record projecting Mr. P. C. Alexander as
President, Shri Jaipal Reddy said that we do not want to
go by what the NDA thinks. We would only go by what the
Prime Minister tells us. If he doesn't choose to tell us,
we will take our own view.
20.05.2002
: Shri Anand Sharma briefed the press. Shri Anand Sharma
said that it is a very disturbing development that the Government
of Gujarat has arbitrarily stopped supply of ration to the
refugee camps. We demand immediate intervention by the Central
Government and Governor Gujarat to alleviate the sufferings
of the residents of relief camps.
Asked
what was discussed at yesterday's meeting between the Prime
Minister and the Congress President, Shri Anand Sharma said
that yesterday's meeting was called by the Prime Minister
to apprise the Congress President about the emerging situation
at the border and in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in view
of the resolutions passed by Parliament. It was expected
of the Government that it would take the opposition into
confidence and this was part of that exercise.
To
a question on what is the Congress Party's stand on what
action to take against Pakistan, Shri Anand Sharma said
that the Congress Party has made its position clear on a
number of occasions particularly after the December 13th
attack on Parliament when the Congress Party extended broad
support to the Government to take effective measures to
meet this threat of cross-border terrorism.
22.05.2002
: Shri Jaipal Reddy and Shri Anand Sharma briefed the press.
Shri Jaipal Reddy said that the CWC meets on the eve
of every meeting of the AICC, to finalise the AICC resolutions.
The CWC had draft resolution before it. There are 3 resolution,
The Political, The Economic and International Affairs resolution.
There was in-depth discussion on each one of these three
drafts. Certain amendments were suggested, discussed and
adopted. The resolutions will be placed before the AICC
meeting, which will start from 9 am on the 24th
May 2002. We are not authorized to disclose the resolution.
The CWC has passed a unanimous one-line resolution authorizing
the Congress President to take all necessary steps and decision
regarding election of the President of India.
To
a question on whether the issue of a coalition Government
was discussed by the Congress Working Committee, Shri Jaipal
Reddy said that we discussed these questions at Pachmarhi
and Bangalore. There is no need to discuss these questions
afresh.
27.05.2002
: Shri Jaipal Reddy and Shri Anand Sharma briefed the press.
Shri Jaipal Reddy said that the Prime Minister made
an extraordinary statement yesterday when he said that our
country should have gone in for attack after December 13th.
He seems to forget that he was Prime Minister on December
13th and since.
Shri
Jaipal Reddy said that we expect General Mushraff to make
a firm categorical statement in regard to his own urgent
commitment to stop cross-border terrorism. He should make
a statement in regard to handing over of the twenty wanted
criminals. General Mushraff should not indulge in double-speak
on these two issues. So long as the signals on these two
issues are not unambiguously clear, his speech will serve
no purpose whatsoever.
Asked
whether India's diplomatic offensive is working, Shri Jaipal
Reddy said we expect much more from world leaders than mere
appeal. Terrorism by pro-Pakistani groups should not be
considered any different from the terrorism indulged in
by Al Qaeda and Taliban. There cannot be two types of terrorism
in the world. So far, the Government's diplomacy has not
delivered any result. We can't say about the future.
29.05.2002
: Shri Anand Sharma and Shri Abhishek Singhvi briefed the
press. Shri Anand Sharma said that Mr. Jack Straw met
with the Congress President this afternoon to discuss the
evolving situation in the subcontinent and also to apprise
her about his discussions in Islamabad. Mr. Straw was accompanied
by the British High Commissioner, Sir Rob Young and five
other senior officials of the British Government. Mrs. Gandhi
was with Shri Natwar Singh. The meeting lasted forty-five
minutes.
He
also handed over a personal letter from the British Prime
Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, inviting the Congress President
to visit the United Kingdom. The Congress President has
accepted the invitation and the dates of the visit shall
be worked out in due course. The British Foreign Secretary
briefed the Congress President on his talks with President
Musharraf and other Pakistani leaders.
The
Congress President expressed the view that the issue of
terrorism, especially cross-border terrorism, and the unremitting
violence in Jammu and Kashmir is a matter of national concern.
Smt. Gandhi also stated that the Congress Party was supportive
of the Government of India's stand in combating terrorism
and violence. She also was of the view that the issues between
India and Pakistan should be settled eventually through
negotiations.
Shri
Anand Sharma said that the Congress Party has noted with
relief the arrest of Bajrang Dal and VHP leaders who were
specifically named for having perpetrated the heinous violence
and crimes in Ahmedabad and Gujarat. We hope that, this
is the beginning of the process to uphold the law of the
land and that the Government would sincerely pursue the
prosecution of the accused so as to bring them to justice
for their crimes. If this happens, the people of India,
especially the minorities, will regain their lost faith
in the administration. Also, the damage to the country's
image abroad will be contained.
Shri
Anand Sharma said that the Congress President has expressed
her deep anguish and concern over the bomb blasts in Ahemdabad
and conveyed her sympathies to the victims of these blasts.
-
Tom Vadakkan,
Media Secretary
