Press Briefing Monday, 14th June 2010

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan addressed the media today.

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan said that Narendra Modi has launched a false and unwarranted attack against the Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi. This is nothing more than a cheap and blatant attempt to divert attention from the pathetic debacle of the National Executive of the BJP held at Patna, where the BJP has lost one of its most important allies, Nitish Kumar, thereby highlighting the final and complete collapse of the erstwhile NDA. Due to the divisive, disruptive and communal brand of politics practiced by leaders like Narendra Modi, the BJP has alienated, not just its coalition allies, resulting in the collapse of the NDA but also finds itself alienated from the people of India.

Narendra Modi, has deliberately tried to target the Congress President, in order to divert attention from his own ignominy and discomfiture that the ally of the BJP and Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar refused to even share a stage with him and has objected publicly and vociferously to advertisements which show him linking hands with Narendra Modi. This speaks eloquently to the anger and distrust the people of India feel for Narendra Modi. Nothing could be more ample proof of the fact that the entire country outside Gujarat has rejected Narendra Modi and his agenda of hate.

Narendra Modi should apologize to the nation for playing a fraud upon the people of Bihar, as well as the minority community in Azamgarh, for falsely depicting a picture of girls from Shibli College Azamgarh, as being the example of the progress of the minority community in Gujarat. This is nothing more than a blatant attempt to distort and trivialize the sufferings of the Muslims of Gujarat, against whom he not only conducted the worst state sponsored genocide in history, but also systematically prevented any attempt to bring the perpetrators to justice, by subverting and sabotaging investigations at every turn, until the Supreme Court had to step in and move the trials out of Gujarat. A person who has defiled the constitutional office of Chief Minister of the great state of Gujarat, and in addition to his other heinous crimes is little more than a photo forgerer, does not have the stature or any moral authority to speak about the Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi.

Modi should also explain to the nation, as well as the people of Gujarat, why he talks of Bhopal, when his own record of polluting the rivers and sea around Gujarat is so shameful and incriminating. The Gujarat Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti has recently exposed how untreated and badly treated industrial and chemical effluents are being daily dumped into the major rivers and sea, off Gujarat, creating a pollution content of more than 300 to 1000% above norms or severe pollution. The Narmada, Mahisagar, Sabarmati, Damanganga, and the Gulf of Cambay, are seriously polluted by unchecked industrial and chemical effluent, thereby causing a major health hazard to the local population. Industrial houses in Vapi, Ankleshwar, Vadodara and Vatva, Odhav and Naroda around Ahmedabad, have and continue to dump huge amounts of toxic chemicals into the water system and the Gujarat Government is a willing accomplice to the same. In Gujarat itself, Modi has completely subverted the principle that the "Polluter pays", by spending only Central and State Government funds or at the tax-payers money on half hearted and insincere attempts to c heck the pollution leaving the polluting industries to go scot free or in some cases pay less than 20% of the cost of clean-up. Modi should, therefore, first perform his constitutional duty as Chief Minister and clean up toxic effluents in his own State of Gujarat before trying to make mark upon the national scene.

The BJP itself has a great deal to answer for in Bhopal. The BJP should explain to the nation what steps were taken by the NDA Government to extradite Warren Anderson.  The BJP should explain why it's then Solicitor General Soli Sorabjee, gave one opinion in 2001, and then subsequently backtracked to give an opinion that Warren Anderson could not be extradited, based upon the legal opinion, obtained by the NDA Government from the American Law firm M/s Verner Hipfert Bernhard, Nopherson and Hand Chartered.

Sorabjee is also on record to state that it was officers deputed by the NDA Government who strongly advised him that they were not in possession of sufficient material against Warren Anderson, and hence could not satisfy conditions for extradition from USA, as stipulated by the US law firm. Sorabjee states that this is the reason why the extradition of Anderson was not seriously pursued by the NDA Government. The BJP should explain to the nation why their Government betrayed the victims of Bhopal in this fashion.

The BJP should also explain why, when the Central Government proposed a Bhopal Commission to fight for the rights and rehabilitation of the victims of the Bhopal tragedy, the BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh Government refused to set up the Bhopal Commission saying that "all that could be done, had already been done for the Bhopal victims".

Thus the BJP has betrayed the victims of the Bhopal strategy in several important ways and should first explain its own sins of omission and commission before pointing fingers at the Congress Party.

On the question of inflation rate going high, Smt. Natarajan said we are very conscious that the inflation has gone up from 9.59% to 10.16%. The Government, as you are already aware, has taken several major steps to fight inflation particularly food inflation. Three major issues i.e. strengthening of the Public Distribution System, cracking down upon hoarders, black-marketers and middle-men particularly in the case of food and vegetables and ensuring a steady off-take of rice and wheat particularly under the 'Antodaya' Scheme for the most poor sections of society are the major issues undertaken by the Central Government which are being continued on a war-footing. We have no doubt that these steps will yield adequate results with the full co-operation of the State Governments as well.

To a question over the fuel price hike, Smt. Natarajan said that the question of fuel price hike is being discussed in the media. I am not aware of any hike that has taken place until now.

To a question whether can a Chief Minister release an accused like Anderson in a case like Bhopal without clearance from the Prime Minister, Smt. Natarajan said these are all the issues which will be gone into by the GOM. We fully expect the GOM to go in to all options and bring all the facts to light. While we wait for the response of the GOM and the fact that will come out from the GOM, I don't wish to make any further comment on that.

On the question of giving clean chit to the Central Government, Smt. Natarajan said I categorically deny the involvement of Rajiv Gandhi government, as already said. The CBI took over the case in December 1984. I don't want to get entangled in some facts about which we have no knowledge. It is for the GOM to come out with the facts. With regard to CBI, Smt. Natarajan said it is a procedure of court and CBI either arrested somebody, they were let out on bail and the CBI does not equal the Central Government. It is an autonomous body.

On the question of the mandate of the GOM, Smt. Natarajan said I am not in a position or authorized to speak about the mandate of the GOM but Congress Party hopes that in the light of the new facts where after 26 years and so many deaths in a tragedy of this proportion that we will examine the provisions of law and the law by which the level of punishment has been equal to that of a traffic accident. Certainly people feel disturbed and agitated that the perpetrators of this heinous tragedy have been let off with a very low punishment and all important question of compensation. No matter what the procedure of law and the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court have been, we do expect that the GOM will go into these issues.

On the question of the statement of Shri Pranab Mukherjee on the issue, Smt. Natarajan said we do not wish to say further until the GOM comes out with the details.

On the question of blockade in Manipur, Smt. Natarajan said I saw the news report that there has been an assurance from the people working on the ground and the blockade will be removed. We look forward to that.

On the question of alleged horse trading in Rajya Sabha elections, Smt. Natarajan said we would expect that there is no horse trading.

On the question of any understanding with MNS in Vidhan Parishad elections in Maharashtra, Smt. Natarajan said there is no question of any understanding with MNS because there is a big difference in the ideologies of the two parties. There is no possibility of any understanding.

On the question of Nuclear Liability Bill in light of Bhopal tragedy, Smt. Natarajan said Nuclear Liability Bill, in our view, is an entirely different issue. It is centrally based upon the supply and usage of clean nuclear energy in the country. The matter is apparently under discussion by the Standing Committee where a large number of opposition MPs are also present and I think Committee will consider all these aspects and we will comment further after the Standing Committee on this issue has given its remarks. The Committee is seized of all the concerns.

Tom Vadakkan

Secretary, AICC