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Brushing aside reports about his health as mere media speculation, Prime
Minister A.B. Vajpayee told INDIA TODAY Editor Prabhu
Chawla that he was looking forward to his visit to the US.
 Q.
Your health is a matter of intense speculation in the media ...
A. If the media desires to indulge in speculation, there is little
that can be done to prevent it. In recent times I have been suffering
from arthritis of the knee and this is not uncommon among people my age.
But apart from that, I have no other problem.
Q. There
is criticism that your US visit is only an extended holiday with no breakthroughs
expected on key issues. Why is India wooing the US when it has not lifted
economic curbs so far?
A. A single visit does not lead to a dramatic breakthrough or turnaround
but relations between India and the US have been steadily improving since
President Clinton's visit to India in March. My visit, I hope, will give
a new momentum to our ties. Despite the sanctions, the US continues to
be our largest single trading partner. The US is also the largest investor
in India.
Q. On
the home front, are you satisfied with the way things have worked out
in Nagpur at the BJP session?
A. Yes. It was a smooth transition with the new party president, Bangaru
Laxman, taking charge of organisational affairs. The political resolution
and the economic resolution that were discussed and adopted reflect the
upbeat mood in the party.
Q. Has
the relationship between the party and the Government shown an improvement?
A. Your question presumes that the relationship between party and
Government leaves much to be desired. Since 1998, when the BJP has been
in government, the party and Government have worked in tandem. There have
been perceptional differences but these never stood in the way of the
party and government playing complementary roles. In any event, perceptional
differences are by no means a negative factor in relations between party
and government. On the contrary, had there been unthinking endorsement
of everything that the government does, it would suggest that the organisation
has ceased to exist as an entity and become moribund. We have seen this
happen to other parties that have been in power.
Q. But
RSS front organisations like the VHP and the SJM are still sniping at
the Government. How do you plan to tackle these? What is the 'Lakshman
Rekha' you keep referring to?
A. The RSS and its front units have an identity of their own which
is entirely separate from that of the BJP. The BJP is a political party
that is involved in political activities on the basis of a political agenda.
We should be judged by how well we perform in office. We should not been
seen or judged through the prism of any other organisation. The RSS and
its frontal units have the freedom to have their own views and the right
to pursue them. Criticism is an integral part of a democratic and open
society. It does not mean, to use your words, 'sniping at the Government'.
The 'Lakshman Rekha' I refer to is a self-imposed limit. Nothing should
be said or done that has an unsettling consequence. This would apply to
all of us in public life.
Q. Does
Bangaru Laxman's appeal to Muslims mean that you have saturated your following
amongst the majority community?
A. Every party has a core support base. But that by itself is not
enough. In a pluralistic society like ours, a political party has to constantly
strive to expand its social base. As for Bangaru Laxman's call to reach
out to Muslims, it does not mean that the party has reached saturation
point in its support base among other communities. The BJP has never subscribed
to, or believed in, the politics of exclusivism. In the last three years,
we have proved through our governance and actions how misplaced the views
about the BJP being anti-minority or anti-Muslim are. There has been increasing
support for the BJP among Muslims. We will now build on that to carry
our inclusive worldview to its logical conclusion.
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Is
the market right in backing cartelisation by cement companies, asks India
Today Associate Editor V. Shankar Aiyar in Au ContrAiyar 