NEW DELHI, 4 December — A day after he blasted the opposition for rejecting a proposed anti-terror law, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee softened his stand yesterday and said he was willing to amend it to reach a political consensus. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Vajpayee announced he would meet leaders of all political parties at parliament today to hear their objections to the proposed measure.
On Sunday, the prime minister had dubbed opposition to the proposed law as “politically motivated” while speaking at a public function in Hyderabad. Vajpayee denied that during his speech in Hyderabad, he had doubted patriotism of Muslims or any other section. He asserted, “There is no question of doubting patriotism of any section.”
In the house Vajpayee even admitted his government should have consulted the opposition before promulgating in October the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) on which the proposed law is to be based. “The government is willing to consider certain amendments to POTO,” Vajpayee told an agitated opposition when it criticized him for his statement Sunday that the opposition parties were “ignoring” national security in blocking the law.
Vajpayee also admitted that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a crucial ally propping his coalition government, too had “reservations” on certain provisions of the law.
The prime minister’s openness to amending the proposal is a turnaround from Sunday when he had virtually endorsed the contentious proposal by rejecting the opposition’s fears of its misuse against minorities and political rivals. Dismissing apprehensions that the proposed law would violate civil liberties, Vajpayee had said the courts and parliament were there to deal with any misuse of the law.
The prime minister had also asked the opposition parties, which have long rejected the proposal calling it draconian, to “reconsider” their stand. But the opposition does not appear to be in any mood for reconciliation. Most parties are certain to reject it at the all-party meet, including the main opposition Congress party that earlier was willing to consider it with changes.
The Samajwadi Party, which is expected to give a tough fight to Vajpayee’s Hindu extremist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the February polls in Uttar Pradesh, has led the opposition chorus that the anti-terror law is politically motivated.
A month ago, the BJP had announced that the proposed law would be its campaign plank at elections in UP, where the party is struggling to retain power amid reports that its base there has eroded.
Home Minister L.K. Advani has repeatedly said his party was in a “win-win” situation over the proposal.
The suggestion betrays a growing perception within the BJP that most Hindus, concerned about bloody terrorism by separatists currently plaguing the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, backed the proposed measure. An overwhelming 80 percent of India’s one billion people are Hindus. Muslims form the largest religious minority and number some 140 million.
Even the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) has rejected the proposed law, agreeing with ally Samajwadi Party that it is aimed at the minorities. But despite his climb down in the Lok Sabha, Vajpayee stuck to the view that the proposed law was a fair measure with no ulterior motives.
