Kesri berates CBI chief to save his skin

Thursday, May 15 1997

Kesri berates CBI chief to save his skin

Yogesh Vajpeyi

NEW DELHI, May 14: Congress president Sitaram Kesri has now decided to use the Bofors card to counter the possibility of his detractors using the Sonia card to mar his prospects to retain the party's top post.

In a bid to placate Sonia, Kesri today summoned Law Minister R D Khalap and expressed his displeasure at the manner in which the UF Government is trying to defame Rajiv Gandhi through selective leakage of Bofors investigations.Khalap, who met Kesri at the party's office in Parliament, later called on Santosh Mohan Dev at Kesri's instance.

He was told that if the government did not restrain CBI director Joginder Singh , Congressmen would make things difficult for it.The move is part of Kesri's two-pronged strategy to keep Sonia Gandhi away from the current power struggle in the party and simultaneously use her name in forging a consensus in his favour during organisational elections.

Though 10 Janpath has loudly disclaimed plans of Sonia taking over the leadership of the party, her increased interaction with middle-rung state Congress leaders and enquiries about the state of the organisation has rattled the

Kesri camp.

Those who are disenchanted with Kesri's style of functioning but are equally suspicious of the gameplan of Kesri's challengers , feel that even though Sonia may not be interested in the party's day to day affairs, she cannot remain oblivious of the problems the Congress is facing. They hope that Sonia's proposed rally in Sriperambudur on May 21 could provide a launching pad for her. After the Sriperumbudur show she will address more than four dozen similar rallies in different parts of the country within next two months. Those who have met Sonia after her enrollment in the Congress feel that she has taken the task of strengthening the party in the right earnest.

She summoned Madhya Pradesh tribal leader Dilip Singh Bhuria to find out what made Arvind Netal quit the Congress and join the BSP. A delegation of Gujrat Congress leaders was similarly asked what steps the party should take to emerge as the principle challenger to the BJP in the state.

Kesri detractors claim that Kesri filled up the remaining two vacancies in the Congress Working Committee on March 27 to pre-empt the demand for Sonia's inclusion in the apex body.