The Hindu : National : BJP brainstorming session in July

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 23, 2004

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National

BJP brainstorming session in July

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, JUNE 22. The discussion on the "tasks ahead" for the Bharatiya Janata Party would go to a chintan baithak (brainstorming session) to held in July, the party president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, said today. He was addressing the inaugural function of the BJP's three-day national executive meeting.

Mr. Naidu said the brainstorming session would focus on expanding the party's social and political base; ensuring responsibility and accountability at every level of the party; go "back to the basics" in the matter of organisation-building through systematic contacts with the people at the grassroots, especially the rural poor; and, finally, not to let the "virus of individualism" affect party work.

The party did not believe in a personality cult and would discourage "individual personality and individual identity." Mr. Naidu also admitted that the "tendency" towards "caste and sectarian feelings" was beginning to surface in the BJP. Finally, his message was that the party must gear up for the five Assembly elections over the next one year.

Mr. Naidu also lashed out at what he called the "competitive pseudo-secularism" on display in the functioning of the Manmohan Singh Government. The BJP was "shocked" that the Common Minimum Programme did not say anything on terrorism, and had said it would repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The Government was attempting to "falsify history in the name of desaffronisation of textbooks," all indications of a "pseudo-secularist" mindset.

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