Date:12/10/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/10/12/stories/2003101204690400.htm

Southern States - Karnataka

Janata Party to fight `attempts to betray JP's legacy'

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE OCT. 11. The Karnataka Pradesh Janata Party today observed the 102nd birth anniversary of the Jayaprakash Narayan at a simple ceremony at the party office here.

The ceremony was marked by the singing of hymns by Hema Prasad. Sathyavratha, a freedom fighter, spoke and urged the gathering to spread the ideals of Jayaprakash Narayan. A bust of the leader was garlanded and sweets distributed on the occasion.

Among those who attended the ceremony were B. Afroze Khan, Karnataka Pradesh Janata Party Secretary-General, P.T. Krishna Kumar, General Secretary, B. Ganesh, Organising Secretary, and G.K. Venkatesh, Secretary-General, Navnirman Wing, Bangalore city.

The Working President of the party, Vijay Mallya, in a statement said: "I re-affirm the commitment of the Janata Party to fight attempts by political parties to betray JP's legacy. Jayaprakash Narayan left a rich legacy by mobilising youth power in his struggle to build a new India free from corruption and communalism."

He said, "Both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the erstwhile Janata Dal, born out of the original Janata Party, have negated the very principles for which JP stood. Even to this day, the division of the splinter parties continues hopelessly. The leaders of such parties have put themselves to shame.

"The Congress, which JP fought, continues to indulge in corruption and misrule. But the re-vitalised Janata Party has carried forwards the ideals of Jayaprakash Narayan. It has been mobilising youth power to transform society."

He said that the old Janata Party, which was relatively dormant, was being reinvigorated by a brand of new leaders who were bold enough to say that politicians should retire when they reach 65 years of age and should not hold office for more than 10 years.

The Janata Party was asking the older politicians to make way for new blood, a claim which no other party could make, Mr. Mallya added.