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PM needn't resign on health grounds: Chandrababu Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at 1400 hours (IST) on Saturday afternoon and discussed the problems being faced by the state. He, however, refused to divulge details of the discussions and termed his visit as a routine one.

"I generally inquired about his health and discussed some issues of importance to my state," Naidu told newspersons. "I would be coming back for another discussion in the near future," he added.

Asked whether Prime Minister Vajpayee should follow the example set by West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu and step down on health grounds, Naidu said, "I think the prime minister is in good health and there is no need for a change at the Centre."

"As far as Jyoti Basu's decision is concerned, this is strictly an internal affair of the Communist Party of India-Marxist. I have nothing to say on it," he added.

He denied aspiring to be the prime minister of the country. "I have answered this question a record number of times. Even if you all force me, I would not oblige you," he said with a broad smile.

On the recent statements by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief K S Sudershan at a RSS camp in Agra, he said, "We are deeply committed to secularism and would not allow anything that might disrupt our basic commitment to it."

On Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's statement that the Sena and Naidu's Telugu Desam Party could bring down the government, he said, "I have been away for last eleven days so I do not know in what context the Sena chief made the statement."

"Yerran Naidu (leader of the TDP in the Lok Sabha) had gone to Bombay to meet the prime minister in Beach Candy hospital. Thereafter, he called on Thackery. It was a courtesy call."

"We in the TDP stand for development. Our attitude is positive. We stand for good governance" he added.

He admitted to facing some problems in the state and his priority is to find solutions to those problems. "Suicides by farmers, law and order problems, shortage of power - We have to find solution to these problems. Then there is the problem of finding additional revenue to make up for the shortage in funds allocated by the Planning Commission," he said.

Naidu said his trip to China and Japan had made him realise just how much catching up India had to do on the infrastructure front, which it could only if it concentrated on development issues instead of politics.

Naidu told reporters that an 83-member delegation from Japan would soon be visiting Andhra Pradesh to discuss various project in which they would like to invest.

"During my 11-day trip to China and Japan, I was highly impressed with their development in all spheres. They are strong in production of hardware but need India's assistance in producing software. The same is true in the case of the Chinese. Our slogan should be more development and less politics. Unfortunately, in our country, it is the other way round," he quipped.

"I am highly impressed with the Chinese infrastructure. They have good roads, flyovers, and there is no traffic congestion anywhere. Their per capital income is $800 and is expected to double in the next ten years. Same is the case with Japan."

"We would be lagging behind if we don't hasten the pace of development and future generations would not forgive us for missing this opportunity," he said.

"We should have international airports in every state so that investors can come directly to the particular state they want to visit. In China, you can go to whichever province you want. In Hyderabad, only a limited number of flights are available."

"We should encourage those who are willing to operate flights to remote places so that development work is not hampered for lack of infrastructure. There is a need to change our mental framework and prepare ourselves for a faster pace of development," he said.

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