Yesterday, he refused to criticise Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on the handling of cases involving Congress leader P V Narasimha Rao, and also advised Gowda on how to prevent the impression from spreading that his government is shielding the corrupt. Gowda's met Singh yesterday as part of a series of meetings between the two in recent days.
In one of his rare interactions with the press, Singh yesterday dwelt on issues like elections to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, India's foreign policy, his prognostication on the Uttar Pradesh elections, the talk of the Congress joining the government, and also the reported move on his part to rejoin the Congress.
He, however, spent most of the time refusing to be drawn into commenting on the government's handling of the cases involving Rao. He chose instead to hand personal credit to Gowda for bringing in Mahendra Singh Tikait and Ajit Singh into the UF and thus ensuring that the BJP would be contained its traditional stronghold, western UP.
This praise was particularly significant on the day after the new Congress president, Sitaram Kesari, had threatened that the Congress could withdraw its support for the UF government because it was helping the BJP by fighting the BSP-Congress alliance in UP. Asked specifically about Kesri's comment, Singh said it may be only for the consumption of the voters.
As is his wont, Singh said more between the lines than in specific terms. The man who, over the years, has almost patented the brand of anti-corruption in politics, would not say anything on corruption even in broader terms. There was enough indication that everything is fair as long as it ensured the longevity of the historic experiment in the form of the 14-party United Front government.
At the same time, he made it clear that no government would allow the impression to spread that it is shielding the corrupt. This could be an indication that the Front government would be taking a less conciliatory posture towards Rao than it did early this week, for which it was roundly criticised.
He explained his taciturnity on Rao-related issues thus: During an operation, the surgeon should not be asked for his analysis until the last stitch has been put in.
He promised he would once again call the press after Thursday, when the St Kitts case comes up for hearing in court, and be more forthcoming on the politically sensitive court cases.
On the resignation of the CBI counsel in the Lakhubhai Pathak case, he confined himself to saying that everybody has to live by his conscience. On his part, he would not share the perception that the Gowda government is sheilding Rao. He said he was a well-wisher of the government, but at the same time remarked: The courts are watching everything, the people are watching everything.
He spent some time warding off questions on the issue by talking in a lighter vein about having a vested interest in moves to make special considerations for top political figures. If I am sent to jail by the Jain Commission, I will also get a drawing room, bedroom, a television set etc. The commission is going into the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. He recalled the hard time when he was in jail in Deoria, when he used to get one bucket for a bath, when he was almost electrocuted by an open switch.
On the reported absence of the original forged document in the St Kitts case, in which his son Ajeya Singh's signature was alleged to have been forged, Singh remarked that it was for the government to locate it. All he knew was that the CBI had once taken his and his son's specimen signatures on a blank sheet of paper for purposes of corroboration.
He made light of reports that there were differences between him and Gowda, and also of reports that he might rejoin the Congress. The publicly political recluse that he claims to be until 1999, Singh saw no possibility at all of his rejoining the Congress. He said he had made commitments to the Left and regional parties, which prevented him from even considering such a move.
He said it would not be easy for the Congress to join the Gowda government as is being speculated in several quarters. Even though the party is supporting the Front government, he said any move of the Congress to join the government would have to be agreed to by the Left and regional parties who are prominent constituents of the United Front.
Singh admitted there were several problems in the multi-party government, but said its historical context and the implications for the country's unity should not be missed.
A transformation is taking place. For the first time in the country's history, regional parties have been deeply involved in national management. There is a feeling all over the country that all have a say in the running of the government. So far the perception was that everything flows from Delhi, now every part of the country feels involved. This is a big thing for the country's unity. Our efforts are towards ensuring that this larger experiment continues. This bulwark against communal forces should be strengthened, Singh said.
He was hopeful of the smooth passage of the bills introduced on Lok Pal and reservation for women in the legislatures in parliament. Since the promise of making 10 per cent reservation to the poor from the upper castes has been part of the manifestos, how could Gowda's statements on this during campaigning in Uttar Pradesh be construed as violation of the election commission's code of conduct, he wondered.
