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DMK, MDMK distinguishes between BJP, Vajpayee

N Sathiya Moorthy in Madras

With the 'Ayodhya issue' rocking Parliament, at least two members of the ruling National Democratic Alliance at the Centre have drawn a distinction between supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party and backing Vajpayee.

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam are also drawing a clear line between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP, says one source.

"By passing resolutions against controversial issues like the 'Ayodhya temple row' at their respective general councils over the weekend, the DMK and the MDMK seem to be sending out a message that they are all for Vajpayee, not for Hindutva," he said.

The revived row over the Ayodhya issue may be a god-send for the two NDA partners.

"This has given them the opportunity to re-assert their known positions in an atmosphere unclouded by the exigencies of an election," the source said, adding that the two parties backed everything that Vajpayee represents.

These parties, along with the Telugu Desam Party and the Trinamul Congress, were ensuring the hardliners in the BJP didn't step out of line.

A DMK resolution, passed at its general council, called primarily to discuss organisational matters, placed considerable stress on the Ayodhya issue. Party chief Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi reflected the mood of the party, while talking to journalists later.

Cautioning the BJP that the DMK would reconsider its support should the 'Ayodhya issue' be revived, Karunanidhi referred to Vajpayee's assurance in this regard.

An MDMK resolution, passed at its general council just a day later on Sunday, was even more uncompromising. It condemned any attempt to revive issues like Ayodhya, the common civil code, and Article 370. Party founder Vaiko even referred to the MDMK voting against a private member's bill on the common civil code, presented in Parliament last Friday.

"There is an emerging pattern, however," says the source. "First, you had a BJP member moving a private member's bill on Article 370. That was a fortnight back. Now you have two others, moving similar bills on the other two controversial issues," says the source, also referring to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan approving the 'first step' in this regard.

"It looks as if certain sections of the BJP wants to keep the controversial issues alive and kicking," the source said, adding, "They haven't given up on the Hindutva agenda, yet, and want to record that, as well. Maybe, at a later date, they want to say that they never gave up these issues, and had, in fact, kept them alive even in difficult circumstances. And these private members' bills will be proof thereof."

The timing of the controversy is also significant. With the BJP national council to be held in Madras at the end of this month, some see this raking up of issues as an attempt by the Vajpayee group in the NDA to nail the 'Hindutva forces' for good.

"There may be a pattern to it," says the source. "First it was the Bangalore national council last year-end. On the eve of the session, you had the swadeshi economic agenda becoming the centre of a controversy. People even thought that the RSS-Sangh Parivar may have got the better of the moderate Vajpayee leadership. But at the end, it was Vajpayee and his economic reforms agenda of the Congress mould that came out unscathed.

"Viewed against this background," says this source, "the BJP's Madras general council may have answer to the political issues haunting the party, just as the Bangalore session ended the economic controversies within the RSS parivar."

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