PATNA, 12 July 2003 — Welcoming the move by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to open the doors for “like-minded” secular parties to strengthen the party base, Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav yesterday said that the move was a step in the right direction to rid the country of communal elements.

Speaking to a group of newspersons at his residence here, Yadav said this was the age of political coalition and he would continue to extend his cooperation to the Congress party with which he has developed strong ties since 1999.

Yadav was confident of unseating the reigning National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, with the coalition of secular parties in the next parliamentary elections.

Playing on the fear emotions, Yadav warned the people that if the NDA government came into power again, that would be the end of communal peace and harmony as we know them today. Earlier on Wednesday, Sonia Gandhi, in Simla, had told her party activists that considering the rise in communal feelings promoted by the Bhartiya Janata Party and its right-wing allies, there was a strong need for a secular coalition of various parties to save the country from such elements which are bent on destroying the very fabric of the society.

Making formal her intentions to take the coalition route to the center, the Congress president said her party had “an open mind” on pacts and it was now “incumbent” on secular parties to come together.

She said it was the responsibility of all secular parties to come together and defeat the BJP and its allies.

What most people noticed was that she did not refer to it as the National Democratic Alliance. With this the Congress has kept open the option of doing business, if need be, with NDA parties not ideologically inclined toward the BJP.

Keeping her options open on alliances before and after the elections, Sonia recalled the party’s Bangalore plenary session of 2001: “Taking into account the present political scenario, the Congress would be prepared to enter into appropriate electoral or coalition arrangements.”

After clarifying the party stand on issues like secularism, nationalism, development and security, the Congress now expects possible allies to make the first move on joining hands.

In fact, Sonia laid particular emphasis on the need to come together: “The prevailing situation in the country makes it incumbent on all secular forces to intensify their efforts to evolve a strategy for combating communalism and religious fundamentalism.”

Bihar to See Laloo Against

Togadia Next Month

It will be a battle of wits between the supporters of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia and the Laloo Prasad Yadav-led RJD in Bihar who are determined not to allow the firebrand VHP leader to engage in trident distribution, claiming the move was communal and against the interest of the state.

RJD spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari said that Togadia’s visit to Muzaffarpur and Patna on Aug. 15 and 16 was designed to accomplish only one thing and that was to incite communal trouble in the state that has the minorities coexisting peacefully with the majority for years.

“It is incumbent on the government to preserve peace and harmony in the state and for this, Togadia may not be allowed to hold any public function,” Tiwari said.