BJP rules out joining hands with TRS

By Our Special CorrespondentVIJAYAWADA, JUNE 8. The Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, here today said no BJP leader would take part in the activities of the Telangana Rastra Samithi which became a political party planning to contest the panchayat raj elections on its own flag, agenda and objectives.

Speaking to newspersons here today, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu admitted that there was some confusion among the party cadre all these days because the State unit had passed a resolution at Kakinada in 1997 seeking separate Telangana State. But the Central leadership had now cleared the confusion by declining to concede the demand against the wishes of the ruling Telugu Desam Party which is lending support to the NDA Government at the Centre.

He pointed out that the NDA Government had created Uttaranchal, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh because they found place in its common agenda and all parties favoured them. The BJP would never thrust its ideas on others. It did not concede the demand for Vidarbha State even though the Maharastra Assembly had passed a resolution in its favour because the Shiv Sena opposed it. ``We have kept in abeyance many things like Ram Janmabhoomi, Uniform Civil Code, etc, which are dearer to our hearts because there was no consensus,'' he observed.

He said the leaders who had participated in separatist agitations before gave up the demand for narrow political gain. He blamed the successive Governments for neglecting development of backward areas in the State giving scope for separatist movements. He wanted the Government to draw up a comprehensive plan for their development now and save the unity and integrity of the State.

He said BJP was gearing up itself to face the panchayat elections. The State executive meeting at Visakhapatnam on June 16 would decide its strategy including electoral understanding with the TDP.

He criticised the Opposition parties for ``unashamedly'' supporting Ms Jayalalitha`s swearing-in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on the specious plea that she got the people`s verdict. If it was so, where was the need for Criminal Procedure Code, Constitution, People`s Representation Act, etc, he asked. He said that the NDA Government had belied the hopes of the Opposition that it would crumble in the wake of the results of the five State Assemblies. It instead emerged stronger, he said.

Mr Naidu said he had written to all Chief Ministers advising them to display a board in all villages, mandals and districts informing people about the share of the Central Government in various schemes like old-age pensions, village roads, etc. Many Chief Ministers responded positively. He said he had never asked them to display the picture of the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, at gram sabhas.

The Central Government had drawn up its own strategy to make use of Doordarshan and the print media to inform people about its contribution for development and welfare in villages, he said.

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Section  : Southern States
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