Babu walks out of NIC meet

• He was stopped from raising T by Sonia, PC and Shinde
• Modi, Jaya, Mamata stay away
• Nitish seen cozying up with Advani
• PM talks tough, says anyone found spreading communal violence will be punished

Anita Saluja

New Delhi: Ahead of the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, senior political leaders, who had all gathered to find out ways to spread communal harmony in the country in the wake of the riots in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, ended up blaming each other at the National Integration Council. While Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took a dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was conspicuous by his absence, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu walked out for not being allowed to raise the Telangana issue. “If I cannot raise the issue of national concern, then what is the use of the NIC,” he wanted to know. He said that Telangana was created for political reasons and the Congress was responsible for the instability in the state.

Naidu said that when he raised the issue, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi objected to it and told him that NIC was not the forum to discuss the Telangana issue. She was immediately joined by Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde with the former telling him that he was not allowed to speak on Telangana issue and he could walk out of the meeting, if he so wished.

The NIC meet on Monday was a reflection of the possible political realignment that could take place in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Besides Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also chose not to attend the crucial meet. Nitish Kumar was seen cozying up with NDA working chairman L K Advani, the lone voice who had resisted the elevation of Modi as the PM candidate.

Nitish Kumar said that along with good governance and progress, the political parties will also have to “strengthen a culture wherein India’s plurality and diversity are vibrantly represented.” He warned that competitive politics was leading to politicians pursuing a “divisive agenda.” He was of the view that no religious processions should allow posters or placards or slogan-shouting against another religion.

In his speech, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also attacked the BJP, saying that while the visit of the Prime Minister to Muzaffarnagar was termed as “secular tourism,” should one dub the thwarted attempt of political leaders to travel to Kishtwar as “communal tourism.” He said that the meeting should not be about closing the stable door after horse had bolted. “My concern is attempt made by “reasonable people” to fan the flames. We need to measure our words. And let’s be less hypocritical in our response,” he remarked.

In his inaugural address, the Prime Minister advocated stern action against anyone found guilty for spreading communal violence. He said that the government should do everything to act against those spreading communal violence, no matter how powerful they are. “Anyone from any party found involved in such incidents should be punished,” he remarked.