Other States - Uttar Pradesh   

BJP unveils new programme for Assembly elections

Atiq Khan

No mention of Ram temple that once upon a time was prime vote catcher

LUCKNOW: On the eve of its national executive meeting, the Bharatiya Janata Party unveiled its programme of action for next year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in the form of a CD. Through the CD the party aims to strike an emotional chord with its traditional vote bank -- which had deserted it -- by raking up its favourite theme of "Muslim appeasement" by the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, breakdown of the law and order situation in the State, as well as changes brought about in NCERT books by the Manmohan Singh Government.

The CD, titled, "Uttar Pradesh Utpirhit Raj" (Uttar Pradesh or the State of Atrocities), prepared by the U.P. BJP's information technology cell was formally released at a Press conference on Thursday.

Missing from the CD is the Ram temple that once upon a time was a handy vote catching device for the BJP, but which now appears to have outlived its utility for the party. Significantly, the Ayodhya issue will also find no mention in the two resolutions on "betrayal of the common man" and "UPA and Mulayam Government's appeasement policy and the dangers to internal security" to be tabled in the national executive meeting on Friday by Venkaiah Naidu and Sushma Swaraj, respectively.

BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was at pains to inform the media that the Ram temple was not a "dead" issue for the party. He said the BJP had resolved to build the temple and its commitment need not be repeated over and over again.

Beginning with "Maa Tujhe Salaam" (crooned by A. R. Rahman), the CD encapsulates the BJP's election agenda in U.P. as the saffron party reminds the people of the "Muslim appeasement policy of Samajwadi and UPA governments and the insult to Vande Mataram". The BJP alleges that the SP had left the UPA behind in appeasing the minority community.

The changes brought about in the NCERT text books which sought to demonise Hindu gods and goddesses at the behest of Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh, U.P. Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav going "soft" on SIMI, imbroglio over the Afzal Guru hanging and Bangla infiltrators find adequate mention in the CD. Another pet theme of the party, cow slaughter, is also there in the CD. In fact, the entire process of slaughtering the animal has been shown which ends with the quadruped being flayed.

Accusing the U.P. Government of lawlessness, goondaism and mafia raj, the BJP alleges that around 600 poor farmers had committed suicide or died of hunger. The party has also slammed the Centre's education policy and the rise in prices of essential commodities.

Earlier on Thursday, the party finalised the agenda for the national executive and national council meeting on December 22, 23 and 24 at BJP president Rajnath Singh's residence. The meeting was attended by Mr. Singh, Mr. Naidu, Anant Kumar, Sanjay Joshi, Om Prakash Mathur, Ram Lal, Vinay Katiyar and Mr. Naqvi.

Mr. Naqvi said apart from the two resolutions, the national executive meeting would conduct a detailed discussion on the party's poll strategy in U.P.. The Central and U.P. governments' weak-kneed policy on terrorism and separatism would also be discussed, he said. The meeting would be addressed by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is the Member of Parliament from Lucknow, and Mr. L. K. Advani.

The national council meeting on Saturday and Sunday at Sunder Singh Bhandari Nagar in Nirala Nagar will be divided into five sessions with the first session devoted to Mr. Singh's formal approval as BJP president.

This would be followed by his maiden address to the Council.

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

Stories in this Section

"Lucknow University may reopen in phases "
Haj Minister in trouble?
Railways to set up two new coach factories
Raja Bhaiya, SP MP acquitted in two criminal cases
High Court directive to Government
BJP unveils new programme for Assembly elections

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu