BJP to counter RSS tirade

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, JULY 8. A draft document which will meet head-on the RSS criticism of the Government's economic policy has been prepared by the Bharatiya Janata Party and sent to the Union Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha for a fine-tuning.

A senior BJP leader said this endeavour could lead to an all-out confrontation between the RSS and BJP, although a different opinion in the party is that matters will be sorted out ``for after all, we are friends''.

The document is to be published in the form of a booklet for distribution, especially among the cadre, ``to prevent our workers from getting confused by the RSS criticism'', party sources indicated. It seems that this task has acquired an urgency, especially after the Swadeshi Jargan Manch, an RSS front organisation, adopted four resolutions at a meeting in Agra late last month criticising the Government policies as being ``against the nation's interest.'' The resolutions were ``approved'' a week ago at the RSS national executive meeting in Gandhinagar, where a green signal was given for the SJM agitational plan.

The RSS chief, Mr. K. S. Sudershan, has attacked the economic policies and called for a ``second war of independence''. He has suggested that the Government's policies are taking the country away from `swadeshi' or self-sufficiency and they will make it entirely dependent on foreign investment and multinationals.

Within the next 10 days, a party meeting chaired by the BJP president, Mr. Kushabhau Thakre, is to be convened for approving the document before it is finalised, Mr. Jagdish Shettigar, convener of the economic cell, confirmed today. The document would meet the criticism not only of the RSS and its organisations such as the SJM, but also criticism of the Opposition, he said.

The booklet would cover in detail criticisms of the Government's policy on subsidy cuts, 100 per cent foreign direct investment in the power and petroleum sectors, disinvestment in PSUs and reforms in the insurance and banking sectors, and deal with the allegation that the Government's policy is ``anti- farmer'' and ``anti-poor.''

Party sources said ``there was no question of going back on the Government policy,'' or even of ``meeting RSS criticism halfway.'' The party had an open mind and criticism was welcome, but unless a viable and better alternative was offered there would be no way of the Government retreating in the face of RSS criticism.

``Who is accountable to the electorate? It is the party which is accountable, not others. It is the Government which has to deliver the goods,'' Mr. Shettigar said. For example, the RSS was opposed to 100 per cent FDI in the power sector. Its view was that additional power could be generated from the existing under- utilised capacity and by stopping power theft. But over the next two years an investment of Rs. 2,00,000 crores to generate an additional 40,000 MW would be needed. ``This is not possible without foreign investment.'' As for under utilisation of capacity, the country had to work within the existing conditions, it was suggested.

The RSS wanted the country to be debt-free. ``Very good,'' was the BJP response. But ``the RSS has opposed disinvestment in the white elephant public sector which is eating away into precious resources,'' a party leader said.

In short, the BJP's booklet is planning to rubbish the SJM and RSS war cry that the Government is on its way to selling the country to multinationals under WTO and ``American pressure.''

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