Nagpur: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee warned dissidents in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday against indiscipline, saying he would tell new party chief Bangaru Laxman to draw a line that no member dare cross.

In a brief five-minutes address to the BJP conclave here before cutting short his visit due to a knee problem, Vajpayee said there was a limit to politicking. "And nobody should cross the boundary," he said.

"I am asking Laxman to draw a 'laxman rekha' (cordon sanitaire) and ensure that the party adheres to it," he said, drawing an analogy from the epic Ramayana.

Vajpayee said he intended to place major responsibilities on the shoulders of Laxman.

The prime minister's statement assumes significance in the wake of concern over growing dissidence within the BJP, which has damaged its past reputation for being a disciplined, well-knit party. Senior party leaders told IANS: "The message was deliberate and stern."

Urging the party rank and file to stay within the line of the leadership's tolerance, the prime minister also conveyed a meaningful message to 45 BJP senior leaders who on Saturday were critical of the economic and political policies pursued by the government.

A handful of them used the conclave as a platform to embarrass the Vajpayee government, senior BJP officials said. One leader said of the dissidents, "The criticism was a device to mount pressure and demand their pound of flesh in power politics."

Laxman, delivering his first address in chaste Hindi at the BJP conclave, completely endorsed government policies, both economic and political, and spelled out the future course of action for the party.

The party president dwelled at length on the indiscipline within the organization, saying it was high time the leadership drew a clear "laxman rekha."

"If we are not a disciplined party, we better not be a party at all. We should put down these tendencies mercilessly. I wish to make it clear that indiscipline will not be tolerated," Laxman said.

He added, "We should nip it (dissidence) in the bud so that treating this cancer at a late stage does not become exceedingly difficult."

Strengthening the relationship between the party and government is one of the important tasks before the BJP, he said.

In a subtle manner Laxman redefined 'swadeshi,' the nationalist concept of economic self-reliance propounded by the BJP's right-wing allies.

"Swadeshi in today's context does not mean blind opposition to either liberalization or globalization. It means evolving an effective strategy to further our national interests by seizing the opportunities and resisting the challenges presented by globalization. Swadeshi is not a static concept. As I have stated earlier, India has always adapted itself to new realities without ever compromising what is good for its people."

Laxman clearly spelled an agenda for advancing social justice, women's empowerment, literacy, and economic reforms. On reservation of legislative seats for women, he said, "I urge the government to intensify its efforts at consensus building on this issue. Should these efforts fail due to the intransigence of certain political parties, who in any case are in no position to block its passage, the government should go ahead with its plans nevertheless."

He said the BJP should continue all the existing provisions of educational, employment and political reservation for as long as is necessary and ensure their effective implementation at all levels.

Laxman called for increased focus on social reform and efforts to reduce the 'digital divide' between information (IT) haves and have-nots.

In the morning, the prime minister visited 'diksha bhoomi,' the place where dalit leader and architect of the Constitution B.R. Ambedkar, along with hundreds of dalits, adopted Buddhism. Vajpayee also visited a memorial to K.R. Hegdewar, founder of the BJP's ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

India Abroad News Service