By IANS,
Lucknow: Accusing the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of failing on all fronts, particularly in containing inflation, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajnath Singh Thursday said the BJP was the only party that can address issues concerning the common man.
“Be it spiralling prices, strengthening security of the country or any other issue that affects the common man, no other party than the BJP can take up such challenging issues or fight for the rights of common citizens of the country,” former BJP president Singh told a gathering at the Jhule Lal Vatika here.
“In the past few months, there have not been any floods or drought or any other natural calamity. Still, prices of food grain and other edibles are rising drastically. Taking this into account, it’s quite surprising why the prices are rising day after day. The rising prices definitely bring Soniaji (Sonia Gandhi) and Manmohan Singh’s government under the scanner,” he added.
Attacking Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Singh said, “To hog the media and newspaper headlines, the yuvraj of the Congress prefers staying with Dalits and even doesn’t mind having chappatis with them… All this is done for politics.”
“However, as far as the BJP is concerned, our leaders stay with Dalits not to do politics, but to know the ground realities. We have done it not once or twice, but hundreds of times.”
Accusing the UPA government of instilling fear among citizens of the country, Singh said: “At regular intervals, the central government issues warnings for the countrymen to remain cautious about terror strikes. In this way, the central government instills a sense of threat and fear among the countrymen.”
Singh called upon BJP workers to gear up and unmask the “real face of the UPA government that has been misguiding the people on various fronts”.
Singh alleged that like the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) too “have confined themselves to votebank politics”.
Singh said India should categorically tell Pakistan that any dialogue between the countries would start only after Pakistan takes concrete action against terrorists operating from its soil. “If that’s not the case, then Pakistan should plead to India to provide forces that can give a befitting reply to terrorists in Pakistan.”
He also demanded quashing of the Ranganath Mishra Commission report on recommendations for bettering the status of minorities in the country, saying the report would pave the way for separatism in the country.
“The report would lead to increased disparity and disharmony among the various religions and castes,” he said.