Press Breifing Monday, 7th Dec 2009

Shri Manish Tewari addressed the media today.

Shri Manish Tewari said that the Congress party is deeply saddened by the unfortunate incidents that have taken place in Ludhiana (Punjab) over the last three days. He said that the Congress party did not intend to do a post mortem of those incidents or blame anybody for it. Rather the party intended to forewarn the Central Government that Punjab being a border State which had witnessed the scourge of terror for 15 long years, had earned peace with great difficulty and if the communal harmony was disturbed there, then this would have an adverse impact on India's stability too. He said that the situation was also worrisome because there were reports that the same forces that were responsible for disturbing the peace in Punjab earlier on were active even today in the Western Punjab areas of Pakistan. He said that from 2007 onwards ever since the Akali-BJP combine had come to power in Punjab, these types of incidents have been taking place every 3-4 months leading to the disturbance of communal peace in Punjab. In view of the present circumstances prevailing in Punjab, he said that the Congress party appealed to the Central Government to keep a strict watch on the situation.

On the question of violence in Ludhiana and whether any assistance was sought from the Central Government, Shri Manish Tewari said that the Centre had already sent Paramilitary forces which were requested for.

On the question of Telangana, Shri Manish Tewari said that the situation unfortunately had been precipitated by the prevailing circumstances. He said that the Congress party did not think that this was the appropriate method of resolving any issue or satiating any demand and appealed to Mr. Chandra Shekhar Rao to adopt a far more reasonable approach than what he has adopted so far. He said that the Congress party does not oppose any reasonable solution which emerges through the process of consensus.

On the question of the Congress party accepting the proposal of forming a separate State from Andhra Pradesh, Shri Manish Tewari said that the Congress party and the Government of Andhra Pradesh had at different points in time reiterated that they were not opposed to the idea of a separate State. However, the Congress party wanted that whatever solution emerges must necessarily emerge through a process of consensus and that was exactly and precisely what the Congress party had been working towards all these years he added. He said that by precipitating the matter by taking hard line positions would not facilitate the process of consensus formation.

On being asked whether the Congress party was deferring this issue since 2004, Shri Manish Tewari said that these were issues which had larger ramifications beyond the immediate demand for Telengana. So things had to be seen in a holistic perspective- not just in a sub-regional context but in a larger national context he said. Thus it was the responsibility of every politician to behave in a Statesman like manner and work towards evolving a consensus on this issue.

On being asked whether the Congress party was in a mood to discuss this issue with Mr. Chandra Shekhar Rao, Shri Manish Tewari said that the Andhra Pradesh Government was definitely working towards ensuring that there was no precipitation of the situation and that there was contact between the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Mr. Chandra Shekhar Rao.

To a question on the Babri Masjid debate, Shri Manish Tewari said that the position of the Congress party was unfolding in the House. So it would not be appropriate for him to second guess it. But having said that, the events leading up to the demolition of the Babri Masjid had played out in full public view and was not something which was clandestine. It happened in front of everybody's eyes he said. So no matter, how much spin the Bhartiya Janata Party or its President might try and put on to the issue, they could not escape the responsibility from assaulting the very fundamental character of the Indian Constitution.

TomVadakkan

Secretary, AICC