The Hindu : Front Page : BJP reiterates demand on `tainted' Ministers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 08, 2004

Front Page

BJP reiterates demand on `tainted' Ministers

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, SEPT. 7. The Bharatiya Janata Party president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, said today that "at least now, the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, should drop the "tainted" Ministers in his Government and save from "further disgrace" his Ministry. At a press conference here, Mr. Naidu alleged that the Prime Minister was dodging the demand on one pretext or the other.

But now that the BJP, through the Uma Bharti issue had shown the way, he should immediately drop the "tainted" Ministers, failing which the Opposition National Democratic Alliance would continue its agitation.

The country, he said, was awaiting the Government's response with regard to Ministers facing charges of heinous crimes.

Asked whether Ms. Uma Bharti had been made a "sacrificial goat" by the party leadership, Mr. Naidu said that this was the preserve of the Congress.

Appreciating Ms. Bharti's sacrifice (she gave up the office of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister), Mr. Naidu said that she had a bright future, as she was a dynamic party activist.

Cause for concern

Turning to the latest report of the Census Commissioner of India, he said the country's demographics as per the report was a cause for "grave concern," particularly with the decline in the Hindu population in contrast to the growth of the Muslim population. The BJP, he said, was in favour of the adoption of uniform population control norms by different communities. Any imbalance would be an unhealthy trend, he said and emphasised that family planning was the need of the hour for all communities.

The political leadership had to face that challenge and come up with a realistic approach.

Mr. Naidu said that combined with the alarming phenomenon of "invasion" by infiltrators from Bangladesh, this imbalance posed even more serious questions of a long-term nature.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page