UF softening stand on DMK

Congress spokesman V N Gadgil's statement -- that the Gujral government's fate would be decided even before the Jain Commission report is tabled in Parliament on Thursday -- has jolted the United Front.

As the Congress steps up its campaign against the Gujral government, senior UF leaders are trying to launch counter-measures to save the tottering coalition.

Union Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said this afternoon that he was in favour of the ''UF coming to an agreement with the Congress to save the six-month-old Gujral government''. This, he said, will ensure that communal forces would not exploit the developments to their advantage.

Parrying questions on the possibility of dumping the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, Yadav asked, ''Where is the need to discuss such a scenario when the Jain Commission report is yet to be tabled in Parliament?''

Reacting to the Congress demand that the DMK should be dropped from the UF ministry, West Bengal Chief Minister and senior Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Jyoti Basu said there was a possibility of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi supporting the Gujral government from outside.

The two leaders's statements clearly indicate the UF, which till yesterday said there was no question of dropping the DMK from the government, is ready for a climbdown on the issue.

The UF now appears to be veering around to the view that it was better to sacrifice the DMK rather than risk the fall of the Gujral government.

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