Advani's call for disbanding NAC irks Left

New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) The Left parties today outrightly rejected Opposition leader L K Advani's call for disbanding the National Advisory Council (NAC) saying an out-of-power BJP has lost the sense of balance and responsibility.

Talking to UNI, the CPI(M), CPI and RSP said the NAC had delivered goods but the BJP was judging the Manmohan Singh-led government's rule with a ''myopic vision''.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani had urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to disband the NAC while describing it as an ''extra-constitutional body. The Centre wanted to bring back party president Sonia Gandhi as NAC chief, he alleged.

The Left leaders also criticised the former BJP chief and Deputy PM for his ''double speak'' on his support to the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti demand for creation of a separate state.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said,''The NAC is fulfilling a good role, but the BJP sees every organisation and individual as a power centre.'' The veteran Communist leader and freedom fighter noted that the BJP having lost power was now desperate to find an issue that could help its prospects.''But they are tilting at windmills like Don Quixote.'' On the positive side, Mr Bardhan listed at least four achievements of NAC like the National Rural Employment Scheme, Right to Information Act, the Tribals Bill and the proposed Unorganised Workers' Bill.

Senior CPI (M) leader Nilotpal Basu said Mr Advani's remarks against the NAC should be seen in the context of the ''consistent opposition'' of the RSS to India being a multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-cultural entitiy.

''We asked for creation of the NAC since we wanted some mechanism to oversee and monitor the implementation of the CMP. The RSS has always been clamouring for a big Hindu Rashtra and never supported the idea of smaller administrative units,'' Mr Basu said.

CPI (M) Polit Bureau member and Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat said the party stood for linguistic states. ''We stick to that stand.'' RSP leader and MP Abani Roy said the issue of office of profit, which would include the office of NAC, has yet to be debated by seeking views of all the political parties.''How can Mr Advani can make such a remark?" he asked.

A Bill would have to to be brought in Parliament to amend the laws, Mr Roy said adding ''these might be Mr Advani's personal view and not that of the BJP as a party''.

On Mr Advani's contradictory stand on creation of smaller states, Mr Bardhan demanded an explanation from him for his ''change of mind'' on the Telengana issue.

''Why is Mr Advani now supporting the TRS demand and asking it to quit the UPA?'' Mr Bardhan said dismissing his stance as ''highly opportunistic and unprincipled''.

Mr Roy said the senior BJP leader was trying to ''create division'' in the UPA. ''Now when the TDP has said goodbye to the NDA, a frustrated Mr Advani is seeking an ally in TRS in Andhra pradesh.'' UNI KSA/FZ RP VC1440