The Hindu : National : BJP discusses agenda for meet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 13, 2005

National

National

BJP discusses agenda for meet

Special Correspondent

Three resolutions to be adopted in Chennai, says Sushma

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday tried to assume an air of normality despite its five-week-old crisis relating to its party president L.K. Advani's "deviation" from the ideological path laid down by the party's mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

After a meeting of the party general secretaries presided over by Mr. Advani, and declaring that the party president is to stay in office, BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj told reporters that the agenda for the upcoming Chennai national executive committee meeting was discussed. Three resolutions would be adopted, she said — one on national security and terrorism; the second on the Government's economic management and how it has affected the common man; and the third on the United Progressive Alliance's "vote bank politics."

Joshi, Apte not invited

Besides the five general secretaries — Sanjay Joshi, Pramod Mahajan, Rajnath Singh, Ananth Kumar and O.P. Mathur — the other senior leaders invited were: Jaswant Singh, Venkaiah Naidu, V.K. Malhotra, Sushma Swaraj and J.P. Mathur. Murli Manohar Joshi and Balasaheb Apte, who reportedly backed the RSS view that Mr. Advani should resign, were not invited.

Ms. Swaraj told reporters that on July 26 the party would celebrate the anniversary of the Kargil victory with various programmes throughout the country.

She said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had "praise for the British Raj while he forgot Mahatma Gandhi." She asked: "If British rule was so good then why did the Congress fight for Independence?" She said Dr. Singh's speech in Oxford "insulted the martyrs who laid down their lives for freedom" and "encouraged a slavish mentality."

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