NEW DELHI, JAN 25: Willing to strike but afraid to wound. This appears to be the Telugu Desam Party's dilemma. After saying yesterday that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government had lost the moral right to continue in office, the TDP embarked on a damage control exercise to save itself from loss of credibility.As if to water down the aggressive tone of its spokesman U Venkateswaralu's statement, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister A Madhava Reddy told journalists here that it could not be construed that the TDP was withdrawing support to the Vajpayee Government.``We are definitely concerned over the activities of the Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and VHP. We have spoken out because we want to warn the Centre that it should take firm steps to rein in governments in the States where attacks against religious minorities are taking place,'' Reddy said.His remarks indicated a realisation that the party may have gone a bit too far yesterday in being harsh on the BJP. The position it took was one from which it couldnot retreat easily. Speculation in the wake of the statement was that the only logical thing the TDP would do was announce the snapping of ties with the BJP.Reddy's press conference today mirrored the TDP's dilemma. He was repeatedly asked whether it was morally right for the TDP to continue supporting the BJP-led Government when it ``has lost its moral right'' to govern the country. There was no categorical answer from him. Instead, he came out with a vague, ``Withdrawal of support doesn't mean the end to all problems.'' Decisions on review of support would be taken at the highest party forum and when necessary, he said.The TDP wants to break ties but is unable to decide when. ``We supported the BJP because the Congress was a bigger evil. We also know that if the BJP Government is brought down the Congress may come back,'' Reddy said. And as if to divert attention from its anti-BJP tirade, he pointed out that the Congress was in power in Orissa where a Christian missionary was burnt to death.Oflate, the TDP, which has 11 Lok Sabha members of Parliament whose support is crucial to the existence of the Vajpayee Government, has been trying to distance itself from the BJP. With Assembly elections less than a year away, it is trying to reposition itself as a vocal secular party and win back the support of the Muslims.This explains why party chief and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu displayed such belligerence when he called up Prime Minister Vajpayee last week to express his anger at the ineffective way in which the Centre was handling the Shiv Sena's antics. Sometime earlier, he had voiced his disappointment with the Centre's response to his government's development projects and proposals.If winning back the support of the minorities is one problem, countering the resurgence of the Congress flush from its success in the recent Assembly elections in three major States is another. And its most recent headache is the rebellion from N T Rama Rao's son N Harikrishna, who has been accusing Naidu ofbidding goodbye to the late leader's ideals and policies.
