People's Front for early polls in U.P.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 5. The People's Front today demanded an early dissolution of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and fresh elections to it asserting that the absence of a major Opposition, cast a shadow on the legitimacy of the Government.

``The Front demands elections and the dissolution of the U.P. Assembly since after October 17, the day when the current Assembly completes five years, there is no reason to keep it going,'' the CPI(M) general secretary, Mr. Harkishan Singh Surjit, said. Samajwadi party MLAs, who form the main Opposition party in the U.P. Assembly and the Left parties had resigned last month.

The Front leaders criticised the functioning of the Rajnath Singh Government stating that there was a ``total collapse of law and order'' in the State and that Lucknow, the capital city was growing into a shelter for criminals and the mafia.

``These criminals enjoy the direct patronage of the Chief Minister of the State'' the Front alleged in a formal resolution.

The leaders also observed that certain Ministers known to be close to the Chief Minister were involved in kidnapping for ransom and also that Samajwadi party workers were being ``falsely implicated in serious cases'' throughout the State.

The Front accused Mr. Rajnath Singh of trying to bring about a communal and caste division in the State.

In this context, the leaders were of the opinion that the ban imposed by the Centre on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was not justified since the Government has yet to provide proof of its activities.

Their feeling was that the Vajpayee Government allowed such a ban keeping the U.P. elections in view. By banning the SIMI an attempt was being made to heighten communal tension and introducing quota for Most-Backwards was a move to drive a wedge between the Backward communities. The Front also sharply criticised the economic policies of the Vajpayee Government.

The leaders also took exception to the Prime Minister's letter to the U.S. President, Mr. George Bush, stating that it was seeking American intervention in Jammu and Kashmir which went against the Indian stand. It said this was a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and should be treated as such.

``Seeking American intervention will be detrimental to the Indian interest and will serve to complicate matters even more'', the resolution said.

Those who attended the meeting included, the Front Chairman, Mr. Jyoti Basu, former Prime Ministers, Mr. V.P. Singh, Mr. H.D. Deve Gowda, the Front convener and Samajwadi party chief, Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav and the general secretary, Mr. Amar Singh, the CPI general secretary, Mr. A.B. Bardhan, its secretary Mr. D. Raja, CPI(M) politburo member, Mr. Sitaram Yechury, Mr. Debabrata Biswas (AIFB) and Mr. Abani Roy (RSP).

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