Yes, we have difficulties but I don't think governance is affected. (The government's) image has been definitely affected.

What about the diplomatic illness of the main ally of the Government?

(pauses) No, she (Jayalalitha) has actually not been well.

Does the Government actually have ``selective amnesia'' on the issue of dismissal of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu?

I would not like to comment publicly on anything said by the allies, critical or otherwise. I don't want to enter into any debate on anything raised by them.

You had a long meeting with the Governor ofBihar. Is there any proposal for President's rule in Bihar?

A. No. Nothing now. It was a routine meeting.

The West Bengal government has sent the Central team back. What do you propose to do?

I have got the report from the team. They have virtually endorsed the allegations made but I have not announced it that way. However, I do keep myself posted about it. Even their allies like the RSP have complained about inaction of the government if the accused is from the ruling party.

You have justified sending Central teams to states under Article 355 but isn't that a provision that is used in extreme cases?

It is not. Under 355, it is the duty of the Union to ensure that the governance in every state is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

So what was the provocation in West Bengal?

In this case, it was a demand by the Opposition including the Congress. In fact, the Congress was the first party to demand that a Central team be sent to West Bengal.Priyaranjan Dasmunshi had come and given me a representation to this effect on behalf of his party.

But the Congress is also demanding a central team for UP?

They have started demanding now and if there is a case, I will send (a team).

Will India negotiate on converting LoC into de jure border?

I don't think Jaswant Singh said anything that merits this kind of controversy. In any case, if anything has to be said on this it will be said by Mr Singh. I have only seen his contradiction of the said press release.

Do you think LoC will ever be a part of a dialogue with Kashmir?

No. As far as the joint working group is concerned, everything depends upon how Pakistan responds to India's initiative for a talk and seven to eight issues have been identified. But if the basic approach of Pakistan is that the other issues will be discussed only when Kashmir is separated, it would remain a major bottleneck for any progress in talks.

(You have) any new initiative?

Let's see whatcomes out of the meeting between the two Prime Ministers at the SAARC summit. Compare Indo-China and Indo-Pak relations. In case of China, once communication was resumed after the war, it has continued till today. There is no progress on the boundary dispute but at the same time there is no tension of the kind that has persisted in the case of India and Pakistan.

In Doda you said that if a government cannot save the lives of its people, then it has no right to be there. Shouldn't this principle apply to the present government?

If it happens in the future. Security is the principal function of the Government. I hold that though the situation in Kashmir is worrisome, over past two years the situation has been improving, notwithstanding the Doda and Udhampur incidents.

But the credit for this does not go to the BJP government.

I don't say that it is our contribution. Our contribution is that we have taken Kashmir seriously, have been constantly deliberating over it. We evolved a strategyafter consultation with everybody and we are now pursuing it.

What is the proactive policy advocated by you?

The proactive policy is curbing infiltration. Terrorists are flushed out or eliminated before they strike but it does not mean hot pursuit. In the present situation that has inherent difficulties.

So no question of hot pursu

it?

At the moment it is ruled out.

What would you say about the new front launched by Laloo Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav in the light of the statement by Sonia Gandhi that the Congress will not shirk its responsibility if the Government falls?

I don't think such fronts are threat to the stability of the present government. There has also been a statement by her that the Congress does not propose to support a government formed by this front.

Coming to Ayodhya, the party has maintained that its ministers and chief ministers will not resign even if chargesheeted in the case as it is a political case. Are you saying that your leaders areinnocent or that what happened was not illegal?

A Marxist leader who posed this question in a TV debate was asked, ``You have been a trade unionist all your life. How many cases have you been implicated in? They are on the face of it, criminal cases. But that doesn't disqualify you from becoming an MP or holding an office.'' It is something similar.

The Government has been listing Pokharan II as its major achievement but the nuclear programme has been there for quite sometime. The BJP Government only implemented it as Gujral pointed out.

The will was not there. So far as the scientific ability is concerned, it was there. The desire of the armed forces was there. But the political will was not there.