NEW DELHI: "In a democratic system, political leaders rise from the grassroots; they are not born as a result of dynastic politics or a feudal mentality," the Bharatiya Janata Party said here on Monday, while criticising a statement attributed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh in which he had said that Rahul Gandhi was the leader of the future.

Rahul's remarks flayed

The party was also critical of Mr. Gandhi's remarks on the creation of Bangladesh and earlier comments on the freedom struggle and the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya made during his election road shows in Uttar Pradesh.

Mr. Gandhi had tried to send out a message that his family alone brought India freedom; his family alone could have prevented the demolition of the Babri Masjid; and that the division of Pakistan into Pakistan and Bangladesh was the achievement of his family.

"If he claims this for his family, then he should also own up the failures that resulted in Partition and the capture and occupation of large parts of Kashmir by Pakistan soon after Independence," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

Foreign origin

On the issue of people of foreign origin being kept out of important constitutional offices — the matter is now before the Supreme Court — the BJP said it was its considered opinion that high constitutional positions must be held only by people of Indian origin.

Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said he hoped "this issue of seminal constitutional importance affecting the current and future polity of this country would be determined conclusively [by the Supreme Court]."

Political aspect

Discussing the political aspect of this petition before the highest court, some important BJP leaders expressed the view that the petition had presented a good opportunity to the BJP to keep the issue alive through public debates.

Although the BJP talks about this issue as if it is a matter of principle, the fact is that the issue is of political importance to the BJP only in the context of Congress president's "foreign origin," party leaders admit. None of them had raised the issue before Ms. Gandhi assumed an important political role.

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