KOZHIKODE: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai has demanded that the Government publish a White Paper on the current economic situation in the State.

Participating in `Nethruswaram-2006,' a programme organised by the Calicut Press Club featuring political leaders, Mr. Pillai said the white paper should also explain why the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) had failed to implement the promises of cutting down the debt of the State.

The LDF came to power promising to cut down the State debt of Rs.10,000 crores in 1996. But when it left power, the State had debts to the tune of Rs.27,113 crores. The UDF also came to power promising to reduce the debt burden, but Government statistics showed Rs.47,791-crore debt.

"The UDF Government,which borrowed nearly Rs.30,000 crores in five years, did not allot a single pie to the agriculture or industrial sector. The BJP is of the opinion that there should not be mobilisation of resources through borrowing," Mr. Pillai said.

Mr. Pillai condemned the statement of Democratic Indira Congress(Karunakaran) leader K. Karunakaran after the death of T.V. Eachara Warrier, father of P. Rajan, the engineering student who disappeared during the Emergency. (Mr. Karunakaran reportedly asked who Mr. Warrier was). Mr. Pillai said the people should reply through the ballot to Mr. Karunakaran's "gross cruelty" towards Mr. Warrier. Mr. Karunakaran should openly apologise to Mr. Warrier's family, he demanded.

Mr. Pillai said instead of pointing fingers at the BJP for `vote trade' and `vote transfer,' the two fronts in the State should be blamed for this phenomena, as both had exhibited a erosion of their votes in some of the elections.

Asked about People's Democratic Party leader Poonthura Siraj's statement that Indian Union Muslim League leader P.K. Kunhalikutty had ensured BJP and RSS votes in Kuttipuram, Mr. Pillai said Mr. Siraj's statement was not true. "There is no agreement as alleged. Also, there was no agreement reached between the UDF and the BJP for ensuring UDF votes for the BJP in Palakkad," Mr. Pillai said.

Asked how many seats the BJP would win in the elections, Mr. Pillai said the BJP and its allies were contesting in the 140 Assembly constituencies in order to win all of them. "This time, we have high hopes," he said.

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