"The differences are too deep-rooted for the Congress and the BJP to engage in a constructive dialogue, though it would be an ideal situation"

•Coomi Kapoor (to Jayanthi Natarajan): It seems as if Mulayam Singh Yadav is going to jump on board the Congress bandwagon. How will you justify this considering the kind of name calling that has been exchanged between the two parties over the last few years? Also, is there a secret deal and what is Mulayam Singh going to get out of this?

Jayanthi Natarajan: There is no secret deal. We have had our differences with the Samajwadi Party and parted ways, sometimes rather acrimoniously. But we believe that in a democracy, dialogue is essential. That is happening now. There are a couple of important issues being discussed, one of them is the nuclear deal. We do believe that it is in the national interest. If Mulayam Singh Yadav and his party are willing to support the deal, we’ll be very happy. Our primary concern is to keep communal forces at bay and ensure secularism.

Ravi Shankar Prasad: The metamorphosis of the Samajwadi Party regarding the nuclear deal is intriguing. It was the most vocal in opposing the deal. When President Bush was here, the largest demonstrations in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh were organised by them. There may be a variety of reasons for the Samajwadi Party’s changed stance. Maybe it’s a change of heart, maybe the compulsions of UP politics, maybe it’s a new cocktail with the CBI as bartender. But this business of ‘communal forces at bay’ — how long will this political idiom remain relevant given that these two parties have been rebuffed repeatedly by the people of India? Congress came to power in 2004 on the stated grounds of keeping communal forces at bay and had nothing in common with the Left. And now we see the position of the Left on the nuclear deal. Also, except in Assam and Goa, we have won the elections in all other states.

•DK Singh: Is the Congress ready for a pre-poll alliance with the Samajwadi Party?

Jayanthi Natarajan: It would be premature to make a statement about any pre-poll alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the Lok Sabha elections or in UP. As for keeping communal forces at bay, those whom the hat fits must wear it. Our purpose is to keep communal forces at bay and it is a political idiom which is relevant. We hear L K Advani talking about building the Ram temple now. That was on the backburner, earlier. So this is an important issue for us.

... contd.

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