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Home Minister, Pm Lack Co-Ordination, Says Bardhan

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Last Updated : Mar 17 1997 | 12:00 AM IST

The Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary A B Bardhan has said that communication between Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and home minister Indrajit Gupta is a problem which has to be resolved.

That problem is there... I think these are two of the most important posts, particularly in India which has to face so many problems of security, of governments, of states under Governors rule. More frequent consultation between the two is a must, Bardhan said in an interview to Home TV, a private television channel.

The CPI general secretary stated this when he was asked if communication between the Prime Minister and home minister was a problem.

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According to a Home TV release, Bardhan devoted over half of the time in the 25-minute interview to the problem between the Prime Minister and the home minister. He said that while this was understandable, it was nonetheless something that has to be resolved.

Asked how much of the problem is due to the fact that at certain times the Prime Minister had sidetracked or ignored his home minister, Bardhan said, Such is the situation in our country and in this government that as leader of the team, the Prime Minister should have more consultations and should see that he meets more often because all these areas are areas of crisis, areas of sensitivity.

To a query why the Prime Minister was not consulting the home minister or his other colleagues more frequently, the CPI leader said that this is because of his state background and lack of experience.

Bardhan said that the CPI has advised the home minister to assert himself, but also be more careful about what he says. That he should govern. He should be the home minister. He should run the country as the home minister. On certain occasions he must stand up a bit more, on certain other occasions he should be more careful about what he says..., the CPI general secretary said.

Asked specifically about the home ministers comment that the present situation in Uttar Pradesh was anarchy, chaos and destruction, Bardhan suggested that Gupta should have used different words. Describing Gupta as straightforward, honest and sometimes very brusque, Bardhan said that as home minister, he would now need to be more discreet. Speaking about UP Governor Romesh Bhandrai, whom he described as a bull in a china shop, the CPI general secretary said that he was not fit for his job and accused the Governor of overstepping his mark, contradicting the home minister and not understanding the limitations of his position as Governor.

On West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, Bardhan said that he wished Basu had been Prime Minister. I wish it had been so but then it was beyond us.

Looking to the future, Bardhan said that the Left parties would have to make up their minds about participating in the government.

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First Published: Mar 17 1997 | 12:00 AM IST

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