The Hindu : National : Vajpayee hints at `new initiatives' to improve bilateral relations

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 17, 2004

National

National

Vajpayee hints at `new initiatives' to improve bilateral relations

By Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD, APRIL 16. The Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, today hinted at ''new initiatives'' by India to further improve its relations with Pakistan and thanked the people of that country for their ''sportsman spirit and excellent behaviour'' with the players of the Indian cricket team and Indian spectators.

Addressing a public meeting in the constituency of his Deputy, L. K. Advani — Gandhinagar — this evening, Mr. Vajpayee advised the people of India to ''learn a lesson or two'' from the good behaviour demonstrated by the people of Pakistan.

Congratulating the Indian team for its victory over Pakistan, the Prime Minister said it was not easy to digest defeat, but the people of Pakistan accepted defeat in true sportsmanship.

Mr. Vajpayee cautioned people against raising ''undesirable issues'' and said the elections were an very important aspect of democracy and must be fought in a clean atmosphere and in a sportsmanship spirit.

Many objections were raised when the Centre decided to send the Indian team to Pakistan and doubts were aired about the fallout of the tour. But the excellent atmosphere prevailing all through the tour had strengthened the bonds between the two countries.

"We want to further strengthen our relations with Pakistan and take new initiatives in this direction'' after the elections.

He said he was not sure how much success the new initiatives would pay but India's efforts for peace with its neighbour had been appreciated by all the countries in the world.

All the countries now admitted that India was ready to go to any extent for peace and good neighbourly relations with Pakistan.

Mr. Advani and the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, also referred to the "feel good'' atmosphere in cricket following India's win over Pakistan and they made particular references to the contributions made to team's victory by the two Gujarat players , Parthiv Patel and Irfan Pathan.

`Court being dragged into many issues'

While congratulating Mr. Modi for the Supreme Court's judgment earlier in the day rejecting a plea for a stay on the construction of the Narmada dam, Mr. Vajpayee said that it was particularly a day of victory for the people of Gujarat. Without referring to any particular issue, he said the Supreme Court was now being dragged into many issues which need not go to the judiciary.

"I am not criticising the judiciary, it has a special place in democracy and it is better the courts decide some of the things where no decisions could be reached otherwise,'' he said.

Mr. Vajpayee stressed the need for further reform in the electoral system and said his Government, if voted back to power, would ponder seriously how the election system could be further cleansed that truly reflected people's aspirations and democratic rights. Asking people to cast their votes in large numbers, he said it should be treated as a "national consciousness'' and pointed out that in some of the countries people were penalised for not casting their votes.

India, he said, was proud of being the biggest democracy in the world and the coming elections would be yet another test of the people's democratic aspirations.

The elections must be fought in "clean and transparent atmosphere'' devoid of any "undesirable issues.'' There should not be any place for the money and muscle powers to win an election.

`J&K did India proud'

Repeatedly congratulating the people of Jammu and Kashmir for participating in the last elections ignoring threats to their lives by the terrorists, Mr. Vajpayee said they had made the people of India proud for fulfilling the democratic aspirations.

Referring to the recent killings in Uri in an attack on an election meeting, the Prime Minister expressed the confidence that despite all efforts to spoil the atmosphere in that State, the people would again come out in large numbers to participate in voting. Mr. Vajpayee said the coming elections would be the first in the country to be held ''without any tension.''

Expressing full confidence at the BJP's victory in the hustings, Mr. Vajpayee said the issue was not how many seats his party would win, but with what margin. He advised the people in all the polling booths to start a ''competition'' among themselves as to who ensured the largest turn out.

Controversy over

meeting venue

Mr.Vajpayee's meeting at the Sardar Patel cricket stadium here, however, has sparked a controversy over the alleged violation of election code of conduct. The state Congress has submitted a complaint to the election commission claiming "unauthorised use'' of the stadium for the Prime Minister's public meeting.

According to the Pradesh Congress spokesman, Shaktisinh Gohil, the Ahmedabad municipal corporation, which owned the cricket stadium, had adopted a resolution disallowing permission for using the ground for any purpose other than a sporting activity. He alleged that the ruling party had misused its powers to force the Municipal Commissioner to allocate the stadium for Mr.Vajpayee's meeting without seeking clearance from the elected wing.

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