Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Vajpayee assured the industry that the Government will carry on with its agenda of accelerated internal liberalisation and calibrated globalisation.

"Even as a caretaker Government, it will be my unflinching endeavour to take care of the needs of the economy. We shall not allow the normal affairs of governance to slacken," Vajpayee said.

The unfinished agenda will have five thrust areas. There will be elimination of red tape and benefits of reforms will be taken to sectors like agriculture and small-scale industry which have so far been largely neglected.

Further steps will be taken to continue the policy of encouraging foreign investments with transparency, stability and continuity as wellas fashion an appropriate strategy in relation to all WTO-related issues, he said. An attempt will also be made to inculcate the values of social obligation in the business community and, lastly, the problems of education will be tackled, he added.

Making a reference to the political drama which resulted in the dissolution of the 12th Lok Sabha, Vajpayee said that the country has journeyed through a period of avoidable and unnecessary turmoil in the past few weeks.

"Irresponsible and unprincipled politics has played tricks with the people's mandate. The cynical game of numbers has scored over the basic norms of democracy," he said. Taking a dig at the Congress, Vajpayee said that in his four decades of parliamentary life, he had never transgressed the tenets of democratic conduct while in the Opposition. "I would not have minded if, those who wanted our Government to go, were able to put together a stable, viable alternative".