By IANS
New Delhi : Accusing the Congress-led UPA government of ignoring rural India, BJP president Rajnath Singh said Wednesday the people were looking towards his party to take the country in the right direction.
Addressing representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Kisan Morcha here, Rajnath Singh said mid-term elections were imminent and asked the gathering to get ready for initiating change in the government at the centre.
Stating that the Ram Sethu controversy would be a major plank in the elections, he declared: “Anybody who does not accept Ram is doomed.”
The BJP has also demanded the sacking of DMK minister T.R. Baalu from the union government for making ‘adverse’ comments against the Supreme Court, which had pulled up the DMK government in Tamil Nadu for resorting to an unannounced strike in their move to press for the early completion of the Sethusamudram canal project.
“His continuance in the cabinet would mean that the Congress supports his views.”
Claiming that 75 percent of Indians still have a rural base, the BJP president said: “The government should not promote industry at the cost of agriculture. If the purchasing capacity of the rural population is increased, it will give a boost to the economy and development.”
He added that the BJP had been demanding an assured income for farmers for a long time but the government had taken no steps towards providing it. “I do not expect this government to do anything for the poor and the farmers. We must prepare for the polls as the reverse count for this government has already started.”
Attacking the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for being soft on terrorism and criticising it for repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), he said: “We had shown the will to combat terrorism and this government has withdrawn POTA without even bringing about a strong alternative to the law. It appears that the government has no will power or intention to fight terrorism.”
According to Rajnath Singh, the government just made predictions about the possibility of more terrorist attacks at various places. “They should stop prophesising and take strong steps instead. If they are willing to take strong steps to curb terrorist activities, I assure my party’s support to them.”
Criticising the Sachar Committee’s recommendations for the uplift of the Muslims, he said implementation of the proposals would damage the social fabric.