Wednesday, May 18 2005 12:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: As the Manmohan Singh Government completes one year in power, leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief L K Advani today (May 18, 2005) said it was driven by the agenda of "political vendetta" even as he warned that the United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) communist allies will prove to be a "liability" in achieving any good.

"The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is being constantly run down. Such illiberalism in our political culture does not augur well for either our democracy or for our economy," Advani said addressing the Confederation Of India Industry's (CII) Annual Session and National Conference on achieving 'Inclusive and Double Digit Growth'.

"What I am particularly concerned about is that this political illiberalism is now leading the Government to a policy of vindictiveness," he said.

In contrast, Advani said, he has praised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a person in several public meetings.

He pointed out the "politically-motivated" CBI inquiry in Defence purchase deals and the proposed probe into the disinvestment of Centaur hotels in Mumbai as examples of the "vindictiveness".

"Don't proceed on this path of vendetta. It will bite you. The barking communists may not bite, but the action they and some others are pressurising you to take will certainly bite you," Advani said.

"The Government seems to have decided, as a matter of political strategy, to de-emphasise, denigrate and discredit every achievement of the Vajpayee Government," he said.

On the UPA completing one year in power, Advani said the only glue that holds the "strange coalition" together is "anti-BJPism".

"There was a time when anti-Congressism was the principal driver of Indian politics. Today, it is replaced by anti-BJPism... Such a negative agenda can never help the country realise its full potential," the BJP chief said.

He said to achieve double-digit inclusive growth, India needs a positive agenda built around the principles of consensus and cooperation.

"Even today, the BJP is willing to support the Government on any reform that is vital for India's economic progress. However, the Government must demonstrate that it respects the role of the Opposition and creates a conducive atmosphere for the Opposition to partner the Government in important national decisions," he said.

Attacking the policies of the communist parties, Advani said, "In national interest, I wish to caution Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh that "your dependence on communist support will prove to be a liability for anything good you many wish to do".

He said the Communists have been fanatically opposed to every piece of economic reform, right from P V Narasimha Rao's time to Vajpayee's tenure and now in Manmohan Singh's time.

"I never cease to be amazed by the hypocrisy of the Indian communists. For them, it is okay if China carries out economic reforms, but India must not. It is okay if China becomes a nuclear weapon nation, but India must not," Advani said.

"The first thing India must do to achieve double-digit inclusive growth is to marginalise the ideological and political influence of the communists, for their policies will neither deliver inclusive growth nor double digit growth," he said.