The Hindu : SP, Cong. not to allow 'pinpricks' to sour ties

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 08, 2003

National

National

SP, Cong. not to allow 'pinpricks' to sour ties

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG. 7. The Congress and the Samajwadi party leadership today moved to put an end to the recent "bitterness'' that has crept into their relationship. After a late evening meeting between Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the SP general secretary, Amar Singh, the two sides signalled that "all was well between them".

Emerging from his meeting with Ms. Gandhi, Mr. Singh told the media that both the parties would continue to cooperate with each other in Parliament and in the "fight against the communal forces''. Both the parties had decided not to allow, "pinpricks'' to come in the way of their working together.

Though he spoke of "putting the past behind them", Mr. Singh did indicate that the former Uttar Pradesh Congrss chief, Salman Khursheed's "diatribe" still rankled. The language used did not behove the grandson of former president Zakir Hussain, said Mr. Singh.

Mr. Singh also made it clear that his party had no complaints against Ms. Gandhi. She had "nice things" to say about our party and Mulayam Singh Yadav at Shimla and Srinagar, "for us that is very important''.

He warned the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party not to believe that the SP and the Congress were drifting apart.

"In the fight against communalism and the corrupt Government headed by Mayawati we are prepared to go to any extent, our parties will work to ether to defeat them'' he said.

Mr. Singh, however, was evasive on the question of the cooperation between the two parties extending to an electoral alliance between the two parties. Much would depend on the Congress attitude towards seats-sharing in the States going to the polls later this year.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National