Bangalore: End to the deadlock over Parliament panel issue notwithstanding, the Opposition boycott of "tainted ministers" in Parliament, and campaign against them would continue, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) president M Venkaiah Naidu said today (Aug 4, 2004).

At a press conference in Bangalore, Naidu reminded that the then Opposition Congress had boycotted George Fernandes as Defence Minister in the House for 22 months though there was no FIR or case against him. But in the case of "tainted ministers" in the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government, nothing has changed from the time they had quit ministerial posts earlier, he said.

Naidu said the BJP would fight "tooth and nail" the "communal reservation" proposed by the Andhra Pradesh Government. Terming the move as "release of a trial balloon", he said that unless it's stopped, the BJP strongly feels that it would sow seeds of another partition of the country.

He said that the BJP would prepare an action plan for five States which are slated to go to polls soon; it has also asked party units in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka to remain on alert, saying there is a "political uncertainty" in these two States.

While Samajwadi Party (SP) general secretary Amar Singh is having a "love-hate" relationship with coalition partner Congress in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress and the JD-S (Janata Dal-Secular) are "singing different tunes" in Karnataka, Naidu said.

BJP sought a ban on gutka in the country and urged the UPA Government to enact legislation in this respect by treating the matter seriously. He argued that the revenues accrued by allowing gutka sales is "negligible" compared to the health damage caused to people by its consumption.

Naidu charged the UPA Government with adopting a "confrontationist" approach towards the Opposition and seeking to "denigrate" them, and not keen on taking them into confidence. "UPA Government should start governing, rather than politicking. Verdict of 2004 is not in favour of anybody. It's for taking everybody along and evolve consensus".

He said that Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh did not invite the BJP for a conference on welfare of minorities on the grounds that its ideology is different.

"BJP is ruling in eight States. Are we at your mercy?" Naidu remarked even as he claimed that the present situation is akin to emergency days of 1975 when Opposition leaders were put behind bars. "Emergency days are back again," he said.

Charging the UPA Government with not bothering about the people's problems, Naidu said despite three meetings, no decision has been taken on EPF rates. Inflation has shot up to 6.2 per cent, oil companies are talking in terms of stopping new LPG connections, while HDFC has announced hiking interest rates on housing loans from 7.75 per cent to 8.5 per cent.

He also took exception to Railway Board's directive to remove posters of Gods and Goddesses in Railway stations and criticised the Congress for not distancing itself from Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's statement that terrorism would resurface in the State if Supreme Court quashes the resolution passed by the Assembly on the river issue.

Naidu said that the Karnataka Government and the Congress at the Centre should come clean on the Telgi scam in the wake of confessional statement made by retired police official Sangram Singh and Nagappa Maradagi, who was held hostage by forest brigand Veerappan along with Kannada film icon Rajkumar.

Simply brushing aside the allegations are not enough; there should be point-by-point rebuttal, he said.