''Look into past before crying wolf,'' NDA advices Dasmunsi

New Delhi, June 28 (UNI) Taking note of Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi terming as 'immoral', senior BJP leader L K Advani's appeal for 'conscience vote', the NDA today suggested the minister to have a look into the appeals issued by his own party in the past presidential polls.

NDA's campaign spokesperson for Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Sushma Swaraj said, she would not ask Mr Dasmunsi to recall the much-debated election of Vice-President V V Giri's victory against Congress party's official nominee on the strength of 'conscience vote' but drew his attention to the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's appeal for 'universal support' in 1967 when Vice-President Zakir Hussain was in the presidential race.

Mr Dasmunsi wanted the Election Commission to take note of Mr Advani for asking the MPs to exercise their conscience vote, she said, adding, ''I give a copy of the appeal of Mrs Gandhi who had said Dr Zakir Hussain richly deserved universal support and she requested that the election of President should not be viewed as narrow party or sectarian issue but a national issue of high importance involving high principle.'' The NDA or Mr Advani have not gone any beyond but are only doing the same thing what Mrs Gandhi did four decades ago, she said.

Senior CPI-M leader Jyoti Basu too had appealed in Kolkata in July 2002 asking the MPs to vote according their 'conscience' in support of Left's Presidential candidate Dr (Capt) Lakshmi Sahgal describing her as 'people's candidate', she said. ''The NDA is doing the same and the appeal was not very different than the ones made by Mrs Gandhi or Mr Basu,'' she said.

''Our suggestion to Mr Dasmunsi is that he should have a look into the appeals of these two personalities reverred by the ruling UPA before he asking the EC to take a note of Mr Advani,'' she added.

UNI