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MOIZ MANNAN HAQUE
NAGPUR, JUNE 26: While attributing the war-like situation in Kargil to the `carelessness' of the Vajpayee government, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar said that this is not the time to talk about that.On his way from an NCP convention in Akola to Delhi, Pawar stopped over in Nagpur and briefly spoke to media persons at Ravi Bhawan, Friday evening.The geographical conditions in the Kargil sector have definitely favoured the infiltrators, said the former Defence Minister.
However, it would not have been possible for the militants or the Pakistan Army to mount an operation of such proportions without many months of preparation. These preparations would not have taken anything less than six to eight months. ``So what was the Indian Intelligence doing all this while?'' he quizzed.
Asked to comment on the Congress demand for a special Rajya Sabha session on the Kargil issue, Pawar said,``I'd prefer to keep politics out of this.'' Priority needs to be given to pushing the infiltrators outof Indian territory and restoring the Line of Control (LoC). Even if everything points towards carelessness of the Vajpayee government, this is something which can be sorted out later, he said.
He called upon all political parties to create an atmosphere conducive to the morale of the soldiers on the front.
The failure of the intelligence agencies to detect Pakistan's activities in time and such other factors leading to the present situation can be brought under scrutiny once peace is restored on the borders, Pawar felt.
Commenting on whether or not India should push past the Line of Control, he said, this is a decision which is to be taken by the parliamentary committee of national security and the Indian Army.
On the electoral scene, Pawar saw gains for the NCP if the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are conducted simultaneously in Maharashtra. ``In any case, we are prepared to fight both elections at one go,'' he told the reporters.
He was at pains to assert that the NCP would never arrive atany sort of electoral understanding with the BJP and sought to scotch all such rumours. ``We at the Nationalist Congress Party, have passed a resolution to fight these communal forces. The defeat of Shiv Sena and BJP is our primary objective. The question of striking any pre or post-election understanding with them does not arise,'' he pointed out.
``Only the NCP has the ability to dislodge the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party Government in Maharashtra. If they think they're going to gain from the present situation (split in Congress), they're mistaken,'' he cautioned the alliance partners.
He refused to accept that the NCP has influence only in the sugar belt of western Maharashtra, his traditional power base. ``All I can say at this point is that the election results will tell,'' he said.
Pawar admitted to have had preliminary discussions regarding an electoral understanding with RPI leaders Ramdas Athavale, R S Gavai and Prakash Ambedkar, CPI leader A B Bardhan and some Janata Dal leaders inMaharashtra. Further talks would be held soon, he informed.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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