MINORITIES - 2002 - Indian Social Institute

21 st Aug
Gujarat BJP revives yatra, eyes pool gains (Rath to roll on Sept.3). (7)
Ahmedabad, August 20 : UNFAZED BY the Prime Minis ter's annoyance, which in July forced a
postponement of the Gujarat Gaurav Yatra, the state BJP decided to revive the pro gramme on September
3.
State BJP president Rajen-drasinh Rana announced here on Tuesday that the party de cided to revive the
Gaurav Yatra to kick off its election cam paign. He also said that the situ ation was different now, and the
yatra would not be called off. Though Rana said that the revival of the yatra had the ap proval of the BJP
high com mand, he ruled out the partici pation of the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister, who
represents the Gandhinagar constituency in Parliament. In July, the yatra was to have been flagged off
from the tem ple town of Ambaji in north Gujarat. But this time around it will start from Phagvel in Kheda
district and stop for the nights at Himatnagar after passing thorugh the sensitive towns of Kapadvanj, Kalol
and Prantij, which witnessed anti Mulsim violence after the Godhra killings. (Hindustan Times, 21.8.2002)
21 st Aug
Another Gujarat in the making: NCP. (7)
New Delhi : The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday expressed apprehensions that the BJP
was "readytn repeat" a Gujarat-like situation in the entire country. "1 fear another Gujarat is in the making.
According to reports, now its (BJP) cadres are identifying houses of minorities in Jaipur, as they did in
Gujarat before the riots, I am apprehensive of an other riot in Rajasthan and demand immediate action
against those in volved in the conspiracy," NCP gen eral secretary Tariq Anwar said. Mr Anwar said the
recent polit ical developments in the country showed that the BJP was all out to implement its "hidden
agenda", which it had kept under wraps so far. "The party (BJP) seems lo be in a great hurry to implement
its hidden agenda as its regime in the Centre is about to come lo an end within two years and thus it is
busy in throwing away all norms, rules and regulations to achieve its hid den objective." he alleged. Mr
Anwar said the NCP was try ing to forgo a third front in Gujarat with all "like-minded" parties as an
alternative to the BJP and Congress in the forthcoming Assembly elec tions. "We are trying to form a front
with like-minded parties as a third option for the people in the Slate where (here is a two-party system. The
NCP general secretary said, lie said talks wore being held with par ties of former Prime Ministers HI) Deve
Gowda and Chandrashekhar and former Union Minister Rain Vilas Paswan besides other small parties.
On whether a third front would help the BJP, he said. "1 don't think so. People arc neither happy with the
BJP nor the Congress in the State." Mr Anwar replied in the negative when asked if talks had been held
with the Samajwadi Party on the proposed front. (Pioneer, 21.8.2002)
21st Aug
SC receives Gujarat poll reference. (7)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday received from President Kalam a three-point reference
seeking its opinion on the legality of the Election Commission's controversial observation that President's
rule might have to be imposed in Gujarat because assembly polls cannot be held within the stipulated
time-frame. . Chief Justice B N Kirpal, who is likely to return from l abroad on August 26, will set up at
least a five-judge Bench ' to answer the reference involving significant constitutional issues relating to the
r wide powers of the EC under : Article 324 as also the constitutional mandate under Article 174 that
there should not be a gap of six months between two sessions of the House. (Times of India, 21. 8. 2002)
22 nd Aug
Is Lyngdoh from Italy, asks Modi. (7)
Ahmedabad, Aug. 21: Wnat's in a name? A lot, it seems. Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi strongly
believes that Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh, who is against holding Assembly polls in Gujarat
right now, has taken this stand simply because of his name — James Michael Lyngdoh. Mr Lyngdoh's
name reveals he is Christian. This, according to Mr. Modi, means that Mr Lyngdoh is a Congress agent
since its president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, is, "after all, a Christian." At a nondescript village in Baroda district,
Mr Modi, addressing a massive tribal rally, reportedly joked about how Mr Lyngdoh and Mrs Gandhi could
be "meeting each other in church." The government, how ever, denied this. "Someone asked me, 'Has
Lyngdoh come from Italy,'" Mr Modi said at the rally, adding, "I said, 'Someone" will have to ask Rajiv