BJP attacks Prime Minister; partymen differ on quota issue

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) In its sharpest-ever attack on Dr Manmohan Singh, the BJP today called the Prime Minister 'an object of pity and sympathy' who can be easily pushed around and alleged that the contradictory and conflicting ideological directions of the UPA and the Left parties had paralysed decision-making in the government.

But party stalwart and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, virtually admitting the fact that the main Opposition party is passing through a crisis, asked partymen to stop fighting each other and prepare themselves for the battles against their opponents.

Leader of the Opposition L K Advani, meanwhile, was quite unsparing in his criticism of the UPA Government over its policies on vital national and international issues, including reservation for OBCs in higher educational institutions.

On the concluding day of the party's two-day National Executive, the BJP unanimously adopted a political resolution which stated " the UPA has evolved a modus of functioning by which the Prime Minister can be stripped of authority. He is not free to choose his Cabinet. He is not free to dictate the policies of his government. He is now subservient to non-accountable institutions such as the Chairman of the National Advisory Council. The Prime Minister holds office but is not in power. Nor is he perceived to be." The reservation issue, however, once again dominated the day's proceedings with divisions within the BJP on the controversy coming to the fore.

Even though the National Executive unanimously endorsed adopting the middle path on reservation for OBCs in educational institutions, the meeting witnessed some of the top leaders expressing divergent views on the subject.

MORE UNI MCN/AJ/AT RP RK1835