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Thakre rules out Cabinet expansion

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has dropped his plan to expand his Cabinet before the Budget session of Parliament, according to Bharatiya Janata Party president Kushabhau Thakre.

Addressing the media in Nagpur on Sunday, he said he had a word with Vajpayee in this connection, since he was in the process of constituting the BJP's new national executive.

As the president, he had to complete the task by June 2 as per the party's constitution, and did not want to include in the executive committee those partymen who will be made ministers. Thakre said he had told Vajpayee that the latter was at liberty to induct any number of party activists into the Cabinet, and that he would 'manage' with the rest.

Defending the five underground tests by the BJP-led government, he said the country had the inner strength to overcome the sanctions by America and Japan. ''In fact, it would be a blessing in disguise,'' he remarked.

Thakre further said the sanctions were less severe compared to the conditionalities of the World Trade Organisation accepted by India. "We would ultimately have to consider breaking away from the WTO, even though it is not a simple task," he added.

Thakre ridiculed the charge that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leadership had prior knowledge of the nuclear tests. It was just a co-incidence that the RSS weekly Organiser had a cover story on it just before the tests. How could editorial staffers of the Organiser know it before-hand when even the Central Intelligence Agency was caught unawares, he asked.

He also praised the Vajpayee government for ensuring secrecy about his plan to conduct tests.

Replying to a question, he described as incorrect, RSS joint general secretary K C Sudarshan's reported claim that Vajpayee, during his brief tenure of 13 days in 1996, had planned to conduct nuclear tests. Vajpayee was faced with the survival of his government at that time, and he had no time to take such a major decision.

The BJP president said the Vajpayee government would last its five-year term, and the nuclear tests were not aimed at going in for a mid-term poll. ''We treat national security above party politics,'' he remarked.

He said the opposition parties had also welcomed the nuclear tests, and even now were claiming that they were, during their rule, planning similar tests. The BJP did not want to grab the entire credit for this, he remarked.

To a question, Thakre defended the appointment of BJP functionaries as governors. The state governments concerned were duly consulted over the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission, he said.

The construction of Ram temple was not in the national agenda of the Central government, he said, and added that the government would adhere to that position.

Thakre further said the BJP was in favour of formation of a separate state of Vidarbha, but its hands were tied due to opposition from the Shiv Sena, its coalition partner in Maharashtra.

Explaining his remarks in his presidential address regarding a new culture for party workers, he said he was clear in his mind that his partymen must shun luxurious lifestyle and declare their assets.

UNI

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