From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: In a significant move, the Congress cold-shouldered
AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha, refusing to give any importance to
her 4-day visit to Delhi that began on Friday, and almost shot
down the gimmick of Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy
organising a tea party in her honour on Monday.

"She is a part of the BJP bandwagon," remarked Congress
spokesperson Girija Vyas that explains away the Congress stand.
Jayalalitha will only squirm at Girija Vyas asserting at her
AICC Press briefing that there was nothing so great and news
worthy in Jayalalitha's visit to Delhi.

Even while confirming that Congress President Sonia Gandhi had
got the invitation for Dr Swamy's tea party, Girija Vyas said it
was up to her to decided to go or not to go "but there is no
need to give political colour (rajnaitik tool) to such parties."

The capital's doors are open for everybody; Jayalalitha has
every right in her capacity as a leader of a party to come to
Delhi to attend to political work and meetings (of coordination
committee), Girija Vyas remarked.

BHAGWAT CARD: Jayalalitha landed in the capital, virtually
carrying the Congress card on the summary dismissal of Naval
Chief Vishnu Bhagwat and yet the Congress is not enthused as
Sonia Gandhi reportedly told her confidents that she does not
want any truck with the lady who would start threatening and
pressing her charter of demands from day one.

The Congress sources said Jayalalitha does not fit into the
Congress strategy which is based on rather splitting a score of
the parties now supporting the Vajpayee Government instead of
taking support of any party en block. 

Jayalalitha declared her agenda right on landing at the airport
that she was against the sacking and is still against the
sacking and that she was going to raise the issue at the ruling
alliance coordination committee meeting convened on Saturday.

BJP Vice-President Krishna Lal Sharma, who was in attendance
with another Vice-President Jana Krishnamurthy to receive
Jayalalitha at the airport, found nothing wrong in her remarks.
"Everyone is free to raise anything at the meeting," he said.

Asked if the BJP would agree to Jayalalitha's demand for a Joint
Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Bhagwat affair,
Sharma quipped at the BJP Press briefing that whatever is
decided at the Coordination Committee is accepted by the BJP as
well as by all parties.

He, however, hastened to add that the BJP's stand was quite
clear that it is opposed to any JPC but it was prepared for
discussion in both the Houses of Parliament under any rule which
does not require voting.

PM's FLOWERS: Sharma also scotched reports in a section of the
Press that BJP President Kushabhau Thakre was not sent an
invitation for the coordination committee meeting and as such he
proceeded on his tour of Gujarat. Thakre would be certainly
attending the meeting which was fixed subsequent to his tour
programme and as such he has gone on tour but he would be
cutting it short to be present in Delhi, Sharma said.

He also disclosed that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has
invited Jayalalitha for a one-to-one meeting with her on Monday.
Vajpayee welcomed her arrival in the capital by sending his
foster grand-daughter Niharika to greet her with a bouquet of
flowers at Ashoka Hotel where she always stays while not in power.

Asked about reports that Trinamul Congress supremo Mamta
Bannerjee is not attending the coordination committee from which
she resigned two months ago and instead she would attend Dr
Swamy's tea party, Sharma shot back: "We have no objection to
anybody going to social functions." END.
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ITEM 2

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister George Fernandes will bare all about
the summary dismissal of Naval chief Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat in
December at the ruling alliance coordination committee's meeting
to be held at the Prime Minister's residence here Saturday evening.

All papers would be shown to the coordination committee members
and George himself wants a full-fledged discussion on the issue
so as to prepare all ruling partners to face unitedly the
Opposition onslaught in the Parliament session that resumes from
April 12, sources close to the Defence Minister said.

AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha wanted George to put the Bhagwat
matter on the agenda for the meeting which he has readily agreed
as convener of the coordination committee, the sources said. END.
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