'Power struggle neither principled nor in national interest'

New Delhi, Jul 14 (UNI) Expressing concern over the ongoing power struggle among various political parties, Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS) party president and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharati today alleged that it was neither based on principle nor the national interest.

Talking to newspersons here, Ms Bharati said she would not comment on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal as she did not read the document but was surprised over the manner in which both the Left and the BJP have joined hands to bring down the four-year-old UPA Government.

''As far as I know the BJP, it was in favour of the deal while the Left was opposing it. Both have different objectives, and it was not yet clear on what principles they would form the next government if they succeeded in their design,'' she said.

The expelled BJP leader cautioned the UPA government that even if it survives the trust vote, it would not be able to get Parliament accord on the nuclear deal unless it took the whole nation into confidence on it and prove that the deal was in the national interest.

Expressing dismay over the political alignment between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, which were arch critics of each other, Ms Bharati said this had proved that anything was possible in politics.

''There will be no surprise if one finds Congress, BJP sitting on the same side,'' she said adding that the parties were ready to give up their ideologies for the sake of power.

The BJP demonstrated in 1999 that it had given up its Hindutva agenda. BJP's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani never pursued the party's Ram Temple agenda once the BJP-led NDA government came in power.

She also demanded Mr Advani to give an undertaking that if he were to be Prime Minister he would ensure construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, get scrapped the Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and retrieve the land allotted to the Amarnath Shrine Board.

''Besides, there was also ambiguity in Mr Advani's statement on nuclear deal that he would do only that which would be in national interest,'' she said.

''As far as I understand national interests never change with you being in power or in opposition,'' Ms Bharti added.

Urging Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad to take advantage of the present situation, she they should ensure that the Women Bill was passed in Parliament with special provision for dalit and backward women before any other agenda was taken up in the coming session.

UNI KAS SK HS1838