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Tuesday, Jan 29, 2008
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BJP to oppose ‘minority appeasement’

Neena Vyas

Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi lash out at the United Progressive Alliance Government

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party will strongly oppose the “minority appeasement” and “communal budgeting” of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Party president Rajnath Singh made it clear at the National Council meeting on Monday that if and when the BJP came to power, it would roll back any attempt to earmark funds, especially for districts dominated by the minorities.

Both Mr. Singh and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the UPA for “minority appeasement.” Mr. Modi said that if Dalit Christians were included in scheduled caste reservation, they would get dual benefits from SC reservation and minority reservation and this would lead to “increased religious conversions.”

He said that any special benefits or reservation for minorities would lead to Hindus embracing Islam resulting in widespread disaffection and conflict. He added that the present government led by the Congress was going beyond what the founders of the Constitution had forbidden — religion-based reservation.

Speakers targeted the UPA as being soft on terrorism and criticised its affidavit on the ‘Ram Sethu.’ Mr. Modi was critical of the UPA for stopping a special law passed by the Gujarat Assembly to deal with organised crime in the State even though neighbouring Maharashtra had a similar legislation.

Several BJP Chief Ministers charged the UPA with step motherly treatment and the party made it clear that this was an issue it intended to take up.

Mr. Modi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said the BJP and National Democratic Alliance Chief Ministers had outperformed Congress and UPA Chief Ministers.

Ms. Raje said that from a 38 per cent revenue deficit State in 2002-03, Rajasthan was today a revenue-surplus State. She also claimed a much higher than national average conviction rate for criminal offences in her State.

The tone and tenor of the conclave was that the BJP’s power march had begun and in 2009 or whenever the Lok Sabha election was held, the party’s prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani would hold the top job in the country.

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