The Hindu : National : Domestic policy being communalised: BJP

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Wednesday, Apr 05, 2006

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National

Domestic policy being communalised: BJP

Special Correspondent

Yatras are meant to educate masses about key issues: Advani

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday accused the Congress of "communalising the domestic policy" and asked it to reverse its politics of "minorityism."

Addressing a crowded press conference jointly on the eve of the BJP's twin "Bharat Suraksha Yatra," party president Rajnath Singh and Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani charged the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government with failing on all fronts.

The two BJP leaders said the party was undertaking the twin rath yatras to educate the people on a number of new challenges that the country has been facing since the UPA government assumed office in May 2004. "The UPA government has failed on all fronts. The country is facing serious threats in the areas of economic security, food security, terrorism, and I directly charge the Congress-led coalition with indulging in politics of minority appeasement," Mr. Singh said.

The five-point agenda of the twin rath yatras beginning April 6, unveiled on Tuesday, is to safeguard national security from jihadi terrorism and left-wing extremism, to defend national unity from the divisive politics of minorityism, to rescue governance from corruption and criminalisation in high places, to save parliamentary democracy from instructional misuse and to protect the aam aadmi [common man], the poor and farmers from the assaults of massive price rise, unemployment and debt.

Mr. Advani alleged that the coalition had given rise to "minorityism" which would destroy the country, if not checked in time. He revealed that the idea of the rath yatras took root when the controversy over "Muslim headcount" in the armed forces erupted and the Government had to retreat and admit that it was a blunder. He said the Government move had evoked sharp reaction from all sections across the country.

"Appeasement of minorities takes them nowhere. It is not for their social or economic welfare. My suggestion to the minorities is to work for the spread of literacy and quality education among them and never allow themselves to be exploited by the pedlars of vote bank politics," Mr. Advani said.

A tool of communication

Defending the decision to take out rath yatras from April 6 to May 10 and putting at rest fears of untoward incidents and tension along the route, Mr. Advani said it was the primary duty of a political party to educate masses about key issues and its policies from time to time. "I have found yatras to be an effective tool of communication," he said.

Mr. Advani said: "The day the Congress party honestly accepts that communalisation of domestic policy is not in India's national interest, and reverses its politics of `minorityism,' a firm foundation would have been laid for the two national parties in India's bipolar polity — BJP and Congress — to make common cause in a very wide area of politics and governance."

Mr. Singh said due to large-scale infiltration from Bangladesh, the demographic profile of the country has undergone a major change and accused the Congress and Left parties of playing communal politics.

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