Siddaramaiah, Ibrahim to take decison about AIPJD's future

Bangalore, July 4 (UNI) All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD), a splinter group of suspended Janata Dal (Secular) Legislators, today formed a two-member Committee to take a final decision on whether the group should merge with a political party or float a separate party to uphold secularism.

Informing this to newspersons here, AIPJD President C M Ibrahim said a decision to constitute the committee, with former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and himself as members, was taken at an AIPJD Working Committee meeting held here earlier in the day.

The decision was endorsed by members of district and taluk units.

''Our main aim is to support a secular party, to remove communal party from power and end family rule,'' he added.

Stating that no deadline had been fixed for the Committee to take the decision, Mr Ibrahim said Mr Siddaramaiah, who met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on that party's invitation last week, gave details about his talks and it was decided to form a committee and explore the possiblities.

Asked whether the Committee was formed for bargaining with the Congress, he said there was no question of bargaining with the Congress. ''We are ready to sacrifice our MLA post to achieve our aim of eradicating family rule and removing communal forces from power.'' To a question, Mr Ibrahim said ''I don't see any other political party, other than the Congress, being secular in Karnataka. Janata Dal (United) has already joined hands with the BJP and I feel pity for former Chief Minister S Bangarappa who has joined Samajwadi Party and become its State President.'' He said the AIPJD would not take any step that would lead to the fall of the JD(S)-BJP coalition Government, but it would collapse on its own soon.

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