By Rajeev Khanna and Sanjay Sharma, IANS
Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday marked the opening day of its national executive meet by trying to put its act together for a possible early parliamentary poll. It also took an aggressive stance on the Ram Sethu issue by demanding that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) drop all DMK ministers from the central government for the “ugly and blasphemous” remarks on Lord Ram by DMK chief K. Karunanidhi.
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi should ask Karunanidhi to take back his words” or drop all his DMK ministers from the government for the “irresponsible utterances” of the DMK leader on the existence of Lord Ram “which has hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindus in the country”.
“In fact, the UPA as a whole – the hallmark of which in the last three-and-a-half years can be summed up as ‘hatya, atmahatya aur vishwasghat’ (murder, suicide and breach of promise) – has no right to govern the country,” another party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said in the evening.
In his opening speech, BJP President Rajnath Singh launched an attack on the UPA government, saying that Karunanidhi must understand that freedom of speech “is not a license for blasphemy”.
He said that the sole agenda of the UPA alliance at the centre was to keep the BJP at bay.
He said that the “cultural nationalism” of the BJP will decide the politics of the years to come and claimed that the National Democratic Alliance is the only alternative that can provide a positive governance in an era of coalition politics in India.
Referring to the UPA government he said: “Firstly, governments formed on the sole basis of negative opposition can never create a positive environment in the nation. The entire scenario over the past three years from international diplomacy to increasing terrorism and increasing inflation clearly prove this.”
He stated: “The second conclusion is that if coalition governments are indispensable in the national political scenario, then only and only the Bharatiya Janata Party is capable of following the dharma of coalition politics for taking the country forward in a positive direction. The difference between the performance of Vajpayee-ji’s government and the Manmohan Singh government running in the shadow of Sonia Gandhi is clear proof in itself.”
Rajnath Singh told his partymen in clear terms: “The country’s changing political situation today offers us an opportunity to once again establish ourselves as the centre of India’s politics. However, for this we have to ensure that we successfully convert every challenge into an opportunity.”
He clarified that the BJP was not against friendship with the USA, but the interests of the nation and its dignity should be observed.
“The BJP’s ideological core is cultural nationalism. But the western model of economic development is damaging our eternal cultural values, social ideals and family structure over the last one decade. While other political parties may not be according due seriousness on this matter, but from the BJP’s perspective, which is dedicated towards India and Indianness, it is a serious challenge,” Rajnath Singh told the opening session.
Earlier, the national executive meet began with a call to its workers to be prepared for early parliament polls, keeping in mind the strained relations between the UPA and its Left allies.
The BJP meet also began in the shadow of the leadership controversy coming back to haunt the party. Even before the formal inauguration, there were comments among its rank and file on who will be the party’s leader in the event of the BJP coming to power in the next Lok Sabha elections – Atal Bihari Vajpayee or L.K. Advani.
Till late evening the party leadership was trying to downplay the controversy, saying that both Vajpayee and Advani are the tall leaders of the party and a decision on the issue will be taken at an opportune time.
Vajpayee is not attending the meet on account of being unwell. In a letter addressed to the participants, he said: “I am recovering and hope to be amidst you soon.”
The BJP also gave indications of going in for a fresh alliance in the south. Though party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad in his interaction with the mediapersons did not name the AIADMK as the bJP’s new ally in the days to come, party sources clearly pointed to the firming up of ties between the two.
In the afternoon the party passed a resolution attacking the UPA government for being “anti-farmer, anti-labour and anti-poor”. The resolution criticised the UPA for the growing inflation, continuing suicide by farmers in various states and the problems those living below the poverty line were facing in procuring food grains under the Public Distribution System.
Prakash Javadekar has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the recent procurement of wheat from abroad at a high price.
The party has organized a public meet on Saturday where it will raise these issues before a common man.