Sunday, May 15 2005 18:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: The present United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the centre owed its 'survival' in the past one year to its 'anti- BJPism (Bharatiya Janata Party) and it behaved 'less like a Government and more like an Opposition to the BJP', the party's general secretary, Arun Jaitley, said in Chennai today (May 15, 2005).

'Anti-BJPism has helped the Government to pull through for the past one year and that is probably why even those parties which are embarrassing the Government now, will continue to support it for some more time for their survival; but this cannot really ensure longevity to the Government', he said addressing a press conference in Chennai this evening after a meeting with the office bearers of the Tamil Nadu unit.

Arun Jaitley said that while Samajwadi Party had considered it not worthwhile to comment on the one-year completion of the UPA Government in office, the Bahujan Samaj party had adversely commented upon its performance. The left parties were reluctant to decide in participating in the one-year celebrations of the Government, he said adding that the left, despite this posturing, would endeavour to keep this Government in power.

'But what is significant is that the three large blocs of support, which is essential to keep the Government in power, are embarrassed about UPA Government's performance', he said adding that the BJP saw the UPA Government as a Government of 'tainted Ministers'.

The year also saw the emergence of extra-constitutional centres of power, an effort to destroy the 'primacy of the institutions like that of the Prime Minister', he said.

Arun Jaitley, incharge of Tamil Nadu, said that the past one-year also saw 'continuous assault' on constitutional institutions. The UPA Government had preferred a Parliament without the Opposition by creating conditions, which rendered non-participation of the Opposition in Parliament.

'The year has been a year of vindictiveness and various institutions were subverted to help the tainted Ministers like Laloo Prasad and institutions are again subverted to harass people like Arun Shourie'. The Justice Phukan commission had exonerated George Fernandes but his report had been consigned to 'dustbin', he said.

The year also saw removal of Governors in Goa and Jharkhand on 'political considerations'. 'There was misuse of the office of Governors in these two States for political purposes; he said alleging that the year was also a year when major compromises were made on national security. 'We have also seen the Government's inability to push through various economic reforms because of contradictions in their own stand', he said lamenting that various initiatives taken by the previous NDA Government on infrastructure development had suffered a setback and Union Ministers like Laloo Prasad had stooped to the level where public discourse had been reduced to vulgarity.

Summing up, Jaitley said the principal achievement of the UPA Government, despite inaction, vendetta and inability to take decisions, anti BJPism had seen it through in the past one-year and the Government cannot last indefinitely on sheer negativism as people would make tough judgements.