DF members to take Cong, NCP to task

DF members to take Cong, NCP to task
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

MUMBAI, JANUARY 23: The coordination committee meeting of eight-party Democratic Front (DF) in Maharashtra scheduled for Monday would provide an opportunity to the smaller parties to air their grievances against the style of functioning of Congress and NCP - the major partners of the ruling coalition.

``We will express our displeasure at the style of functioning of Congress and NCP and demand immediate implementation of Srikrishna Commission report,'' Abu Asim Azmi, the city unit chief of Samajwadi Party, said on Sunday.

SP, which has a lone member in the council of ministers, was also unhappy about the non-inclusion of minorities in the recent recruitment in the police force, Azmi said.

Janata Dal (Secular), another constituent, had publicly expressed its unhappiness over certain decisions taken by the DF Government.

JD-S even went a step ahead and announced that it would stage state-wide demonstrations on January 31 to protest against what it called the Government's `anti-people' decisions likescrapping of stable prices scheme, making study of English compulsory in primary schools and hiking electricity tariff.

``There is widespread resentment against these decisions and JD-S will raise the issue in the coordination committee meeting of the DF,'' state unit party chief Nihal Ahmed said. However, Ahmed added, ``We will ensure that the Government does not fall due to our actions as a secular government is our topmost priority.''

Ramdas Athavale, who leads a faction of the Republican Party of India, has also demanded greater representation for his party in the DF ministry. Though not a single member of RPI-A got elected to the Assembly, Gangadhar Gade of the party was made a minister.

Party sources in CPI and CPM have also expressed their disgruntlement about not taking them into confidence over policy matters. The co-ordination committee was set up for smooth functioning of the DF Government.

The members of the committee are MPCC chief Prataprao Bhosle, NCP state unit chief Baban Pachpute,Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Nihal Ahmed, Athavale, Bharatiya Bahujan Mahasangh's Ranjit Meshram, Abu Asim Azmi and CPM leader Prabhakar Sanzgiri.

However, it was not known if NCP president Sharad Pawar would attend the meeting. NCP sources did not rule out the possibility of Pawar attending the meeting as a special invitee.