CHENNAI, March 19: Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy on Thursday reiterated that he would seek the permission of AIADMK-led front leader J Jayalalitha to vote according to his conscience when Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee seeks the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha.Addressing a press conference organised by the Chennai Press Club, Swamy, who accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of conspiring to deny him a berth in the Union Ministry, indicated that he would vote against the Vajpayee government if Lok Shakti leader Ramakrishna Hegde was given an important portfolio like Defence or External Affairs.
Asked whether his one vote would make a difference, he said it would be crucial if the United Front stayed together, leading to a change in the arithmetic. The BJP and its allies had pooled together 264 members whereas the Congress and the UF could mobilise as many as 263, he said.
Swamy made it clear that he had no direct alliance with the BJP but ``only an indirect alliance by virtue ofbeing a partner of the AIADMK''. He charged that the BJP suffered from a North Indian psyche.
Listing out several charges against Hegde, when he was the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Swamy said besides an indictment by the Supreme Court, a letter rogatory was also sent by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the HDW submarine case, seeking details of commission paid by AEG Germany. Hegde, therefore, should not be entrusted with a sensitive portfolio like Defence or External Affairs, Swamy argued. ``It involves questions of national security.''
Asked why he chose to be silent on Sedapatti Muthiah's inclusion in the Vajpayee Ministry though he faced charges of corruption when he was the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly in the years 1991-96, Swamy said Muthiah's offences were like traffic light violation when compared to what Hegde did. `Muthiah's cases are confined to Tamil Nadu and he has to take his own decisions.'' Turning his attention to Samata leader George Fernandes, Swamy said Fernandes shouldnot be in the Ministry as he had advocated the cause of LTTE.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
