Bad weather plays spoilsport in Vajpayee's arrival at Executive

Dehra Dun, Sep 8 (UNI) Inclement weather prevented former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from arriving here today to attend the BJP's National Executive meet.

Party sources said Mr Vajpayee had not been allowed to fly from Delhi because of bad weather.

The rains, which have been lashing the capital of Uttaranchal since last night, might also force the BJP to postpone the public rally, which was to be addressed by the top BJP leaders, including Mr Vajpayee, Leader of Opposition L K Advani and party president Rajnath Singh.

The Executive, on its second day, took up for discussion two resolutions, one on farmers' plight and the other on spiralling price rise affecting the consumer.

The resolution concerning the farmers was moved by former BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu and the other by BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

Moving the resolution, Mr Naidu expressed concern over the continued trend of suicides among farmers and lashed out at the ''wrong policies'' adopted by the UPA government.

The draft resolution regretted that the suicides continued in Vidarbha though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the region and announced a special package for it.

The agriculture policy implemented by the government was anti-farmers, forcing the poor ryots to commit suicide due to heavy debts.

The policy was framed to provide market for the imports rather than helping the domestic farmers, the party regretted.

On the price rise issue, Mr Malhotra while moving the resolution deplored the UPA's economic policy and said the government had failed miserably to contain spiralling prices.

He also assailed the government for its lax procurement steps resulting in jeopardising of the Public Distribution System.

Meanwhile, Mr Advani is likely to speak on the internal security situation in the country.

UNI KAS/MCN SK RK1220