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EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
CALCUTTA, SEPT 10: West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu has asked the Congress to avoid ``any unprincipled move to form an alternative Government at the Centre.''
Basu, who was addressing a Students Federation of India (SFI) rally here today, said: ``The CPI(M) would not back any unscrupulous political design of the Congress to form an alternative Government at the Centre.''
``In this process, we may have to wait a little longer, but no way will we back any plan which would bring disrepute to our ideology and struggle,'' he warned the Congress. ``In such circumstances, we would prefer to wait and continue our struggle against the barbaric BJP Government,'' the veteran Marxist added.
Basu, who has thus added conditions of ``ideology'' and ``principle'' to the CPM's offer of support to the Congress, however, reiterated that ``the Congress will get issue-based support from the Left if it chooses to form an alternative Government.''
Basu said he would like to read the Congress resolution adopted inPachmarhi before commenting on it. ``I haven't seen it yet,'' he said. He said the CPM Politburo would also discuss the Congress resolution shortly.
The West Bengal Chief Minister asked the Congress to do some soul-searching and work towards getting rid of the ``ills'' of governance it introduced during its tenure. ``We have talked of support to the Congress in order to keep off the BJP from power, but that does not mean that we would give up our struggle against the Congress policies,'' the Chief Minister said.
Basu chose the SFI rally to give a fresh impetus to the anti-BJP campaign and attacked the BJP-led coalition at the Centre. ``This Government has no right to rule,'' he said.
Asking the students to ``educate people in West Bengal where the barbaric BJP has begun rearing its head,'' Basu said the CPM would like the students to join the nation-wide movement which the Left parties have launched against the BJP.''
He also warned against ``the BJP's design to arouse communal passion in thecountry'' and said the activities of the BJP would only help ``Muslim fundamentalists consolidate their hold on the minorities.''
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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