After initial defensiveness on the petrol pump controversy, the government now seems determined to take the battle to the Congress by threatening to expose party leaders on the issue.
The stalemate in Parliament over the issue continued today. The controversy has the potential of evolving into the worst kind of mud-slinging among political rivals as was evident today in the BJP parliamentary party meeting . The party leadership launched a counter-offensive by saying that the list of all such Congress beneficiaries who got petrol pumps and gas agencies since 1982 would be made public.
"A long list of Congress leaders, their wives and family members is already with the government," a senior BJP functionary said, adding that the allotments made since 1982 should also be probed. Though Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee attended the meeting, he was silent most of the time. The government's defence was put up by Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, who felt that the decision to cancel allotments had controlled the damage to a good extent.
In his speech, Advani gave a clear indication of the party's decision of conceding to the Opposition "thus far and no further" on the issue.
In fact, Advani's stout defence of Naik set the tone of the party's aggressive posturing on the issue. Significantly in the meeting, while Vajpayee kept silent, Advani took upon himself to defend the government on all crucial issues. He also praised Vajpayee for the bold decision of cancelling all allotments. The decision marked the difference between the BJP and the Congress, he said.
Vajpayee later called all senior BJP leaders to his office in Parliament where they were closetted for 40 minutes.
Just after the meeting BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu told Business Standard: "The government has shown moral courage by cancelling allotments, let the Congress also show the same courage."
This was an obvious indication of the fact that a list of Congress beneficiaries might soon be released.
Leak drew fire
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
