Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

NEW DELHI: A "fake secular gang of four" was on the job of getting the Bharatiya Janata Party derecognised but its workers in Uttar Pradesh were engaged in a "do or die" battle to take the campaign to every voter, party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here on Tuesday.

He said: "The so-called compact disc is being made an issue by the fake secular gang, comprising the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Left Front. They have no issue other than getting the BJP out of the electoral race."

People had given the BJP a mandate in three successive elections — in Punjab and Uttarakhand and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls — on price rise, corruption and terrorism.

"These are the same issues on which the party is fighting the Uttar Pradesh elections."

Instead of fighting the BJP politically, the other parties were "rushing to the Election Commission" pleading that it be derecognised.

They were also making this demand at public meetings. The reason was the tide had turned in the BJP's favour in Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Naqvi said.

"A huge mistake"

Privately, some BJP leaders admitted that the CD with communal overtones — which the party claims was released "inadvertently" — was a huge mistake. Some said party workers might have mistakenly believed that they would get "brownie points" from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for making such a "communal CD."

``Not a potent tool''

A senior leader said the issue of the "official" CD released at the party's national executive committee/national council meeting in Lucknow in December last might not be a potent tool in the hands of its detractors, as the BJP could argue that it was released before the polling process began in Uttar Pradesh.

The argument was that before the announcement of polling dates, the Election Commission does not come into play and the code of conduct does not apply to parties.

Party leaders refused to say anything whether they considered the "official" CD too communally offensive as the one that was hastily withdrawn and disowned.

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