The Hindu : Justice for all, say BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2002

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Justice for all, say BJP

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR DEC. 16. The caretaker Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, who led the BJP to an impressive victory in the Assembly elections, was today unanimously elected leader of the legislature party.

His swearing-in as Chief Minister will be held on December 22, which will be attended by the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, the party's national president, Venkaiah Naidu, announced.

Mr. Modi's name was proposed by the Health Minister in his Cabinet, Ashok Bhatt, and seconded by six newly-elected legislators. He was declared elected by the party's national treasurer, Ramdas Aggarwal, who conducted the meeting. No other name was proposed for the post. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Naidu, the Union Textile Minister, Kashiram Rana, the former Chief Minister, Keshubhai Patel, the BJP national general secretary, Sanjay Joshi, and many other senior leaders.

A loud cheer and shouts of "Bharat Mata ki jai" went up in the packed Town Hall here as Mr. Aggarwal announced Mr. Modi's unanimous choice as the leader. Later, Mr. Naidu said Mr. Aggarwal and the State unit party president, Rajendrasinh Rana, would communicate the party's choice to the Governor, Sunder Singh Bhandari, requesting him to invite Mr. Modi to form a Ministry in the State. The party's decision to hold the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday would also be communicated to the Governor.

Addressing the gathering, both Mr. Modi and Mr. Naidu underlined a message for the minority communities stating that they should not feel apprehensive under the new BJP dispensation. "Appeasement of none and justice for all" would be the basic principle of the Government which would treat all the five crore people of the State, "including all those who vehemently opposed the BJP in the elections" equally, they said.

Mr. Modi said the party's election manifesto would be his guideline for the future performance of the Government and would be implemented in toto to provide the people peace, happiness and security. "The people want results not mere promises; it is our responsibility to give them results with all sincerity," he said.

Both he and Mr. Naidu criticised the Congress for "refusing to accept" the people's mandate. Mr. Modi said the elections this time reminded him of the post-emergency elections in 1977 when many of the Opposition leaders felt disheartened even to contest the elections because of the long "one-sided campaign".

A similar situation was created by the Congress and other "pseudo-secularists" this time through the prolonged campaign against the BJP and defaming the State at home and abroad. "Constructive criticism is essential in democracy, but baseless accusations were wrong," but like in 1977 the people demonstrated a "unique sense of understanding" rejecting all the "fabricated propaganda". He asked the Congress to forget the past and act as a constructive opposition and cooperate with his Government for the development of the State.

He also had a dig at the media which had often been carrying "misleading and fabricated stories" and were trying to find "excuses" for failing to gauge the minds of the people.

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