Atal not ready to rock TN Govt

His categorical assertion took observers by surprise, especially as it came a few hours before All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremo Jayalalitha was scheduled to meet him.

In the strongest rebuttal so far of Opposition criticism that his Government has a hidden agenda, the Prime Minister said, "Have faith in me. As long as I am the Prime Minister, the national agenda is the only agenda we shall work on."

He sought the Opposition’s "constructive cooperation" in running the country. Vajpayee also conceded that the controversy surrounding the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker was an unfortunate one and should have been avoided.The PrimeMinister said there was no question of withdrawing from the World Trade Organisation (WTO). "India is very much a part of the WTO. We will fight for our interest within the trade organisation."

Regarding economic reforms he said, "We have to evaluate the extent to which we have able to liberalise the economy. The matter of new prices and challenges worldwide have also rocked our boat. But we cannot be scared of this, we have to face the new challenges. There is this talk of patenting basmati and haldi. But why don’t we also meet international standard; enough steps have not been taken in this direction."

"The Indian industry," he argued, "should adopt itself to the changing scenario and be prepared to face competition." In the same breath, he asserted that the country was making big strides in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and will continue to play a major role in international affairs.

Vajpayee admitted that therewere deficiencies in the Anti-Defection Act, and said the Government was open to suggestions regarding amendments, if there was consensus on the matter. "The Act permits large-scale defections and has not helped in bringing political stability," he said.

The Prime Minister said there was no question of scrapping the Minorities Commission and the Government would continue to protect the interests of the minorities.

The revival of the Tribal Commission, as demanded by Leader of the Opposition in the House Manmohan Singh, has been okayed by the Prime Minister. Vajpayee said the commission for reviewing the Constitution would consist of legal luminaries and eminent persons from all walks of life. One of the major tasks of the commission would be reviewing the role of the Governor.