Other States - Gujarat

BJP chief defends Modi Govt.

By Neena Vyas

PANAJI (Goa) APRIL 12. The Bharatiya Janata Party president, Jana Krishnamurthi, today strongly defended the Narendra Modi Government in Gujarat and true to the party line offered an explanation to the large-scale rioting that gripped the State after the Godhra carnage.

Delivering the opening address at the party's national executive committee meeting here this afternoon, Mr. Krishnamurthi spelt out the lesson from Gujarat: "the effort has so far mainly remained in advising and attacking the provoked (Hindus).'' Then he added, "this had given rise to a psychology amidst the provoked that they are the victims in every sense.''

Elaborating he said the lesson to be learnt was that "the state and society will come down heavily on him (the person who provoked) and then the whole society and everyone in society will remain assured that there is justice rendered to all with no appeasement of anyone.''

However, he did underline that the lessons to be learnt from Gujarat and elsewhere where communal strife had occurred was that this had to be "put behind us if the nation is to progress. Social disharmony and internal strife cannot help our nation to move forward".

Mr. Krishnamurthi attacked the Opposition for demanding Mr. Modi's removal but was silent on similar demands coming from key allies, including the Telugu Desam Party and the Trinamool Congress.

As for the recent electoral reverses suffered by the party — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Manipur — "capped'' by the rout in the Delhi Corporation polls, Mr. Krishnamurthi accepted "the challenge to our very strength and existence'', and said the party would meet the crisis with determination. After all, it had rebuilt its strength after 1984 when in the worst debacle in its history, it won only two Lok Sabha seats. But, this had to be done after "introspection'' and careful and frank analysis of the factors responsible for the downslide.

All he had to say on Uttar Pradesh was that after its defeat the BJP had decided to sit in the Opposition although many executive committee members feel that a BJP-Bahujan Samaj Party Government in the next few days or weeks was very much on the cards. He admitted that while some factors were beyond the party's control, some indeed were very much "within our control.''

While appreciating the difficult task of budget making at the Centre, he did not mince words when he said that while going in for tough measures a healthy balance needed to be maintained between economic reforms and political management.

His appeal to the Government was that adequate safety nets must be put in place before initiating steps that could hurt the weakest in society. Also, when an additional tax burden was imposed on the people, they expected the Government to set an example by adopting austerity measures. This attack on the Finance Minister, Yashwant Sinha, was milder than expected, but he placed before the party the specific criticisms of the budget and economic policies that have been articulated by party members, especially after the adverse poll results. His specific suggestions were: lower interest rates should not hurt the old and retired persons, go in for second generation reforms only after assessing the impact of the first generation reforms through an expert committee, introduce flexibility in the distribution of foodgrains through the public distribution system to enable the below-the-poverty-line families to buy grain on a daily basis and finally, make efforts to revive the sick textile industry which employs the largest number of people after agriculture.

He attacked the Opposition, particularly the Congress, for rejecting the National Democratic Alliance efforts at politics of consensus, and warned that if it was confrontation that they wanted, that was what they would get. The Opposition refusal to support the Prevention of Terrorism Bill (now enacted) came in for sharp criticism, and the party was also attacked for not helping the Government of Gujarat to restore peace and harmony and, instead, attempting to destabilise the State Government by demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister.

He also touched on foreign policy issues with an attack on Pakistan and its President Pervez Musharraf. Cross-border terrorism was continuing and India had to learn to live with a hostile neighbour. Those who were suggesting that India and Pakistan should enter into a dialogue when a "gun was pointed at our heads'', were "misguided''. He welcomed the peace initiative in Sri Lanka as well as the hope for a structured and continuous dialogue with China.The signals coming from the national executive committee here are that the Prime Minister may make up his mind to get rid of Mr. Modi, but a large section of the party, especially the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, are against this. The BJP, which has lost election after election, is hoping to win this round in Gujarat through a "consolidation of the Hindus'' as some party members have indicated.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• NCM to visit Gujarat again
• BJP chief defends Modi Govt.

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu