PPT ON NDA v/s UPA : A Reality Check

‘Modi’s presence in Uttarakhand made the difference’: Rediff.Com

The news report that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi helped in the evacuation of 15,000 Gujaratis from Uttarakhand in two days has come under fire from various quarters. Even if one disputes the figures, Modi’s detractors can learn how the entire operation was handled meticulously. Sheela Bhatt reports in rediff.com

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi reaches RSS office for Flood Relief Campaign at Uttarakhand on June-22-Saturday

A controversy has broken out after a newspaper report that gave huge credit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for leading the team that managed evacuation of 15,000 people, during his two-night stay in a hill state of Uttarakhand.

A Non-Resident Indian has even petitioned the Press Council of India for “serious violation of media ethics” for reporting that hugely helped Modi to reinforce his image of being a good administrator.

On Monday, the Gujarat government, when contacted by rediff.com, refused to confirm or deny the exact figures of Gujarati pilgrims helped by the Modi government. However, in an off the record briefing, the officer who was a part of the supervisory team gave factual position of what Modi and the government officers did.

“What all of you are not understanding is that after the Kutch earthquake, the Gujarat government has acquired the capability and more importantly, sensitivity to deal with any kind of disasters. Why should we not share our knowledge with the devastated state? That is real federalism according to Modi,” he said.
He added, “Modi’s critics don’t appreciate that everyone woke up only two days after, but we got the advantage because we anticipated the calamity as soon as the news of cloud burst was reported. Also, I can say with authority that the Gujarat government has done everything with the help of the Uttarakhand government and through the state machinery of Uttarakhand. We refuse to criticise the state government.”
He said the actual figures of evacuation of pilgrims by the Gujarat government under the leadership of Modi will never be known because the chartered Boeing planes made five trips to Gujarat from Dehradun, there were hundreds of other cars, buses and trucks engaged by the government.

It’s impossible to count the exact number of pilgrims because, “We had firmly decided that at no point of time pilgrims should crowd the base camp in Haridwar, Dehradun or New Delhi. In case of an emergency, a large congregation can create other issues. Our aim was to rescue the pilgrims, give them food and some counseling and arrange for their transport and move them out of the affected zone.”

Of course, all those helped by the Gujarat government were not Gujaratis, he says.

For example, a group of 10 holy men from the Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala were also trapped. They contacted Modi and they were also located in the mountains and rescued. Modi had visited the mutt last April. The senior officer narrated the sequence of events after the news of cloud burst was reported in the Kedar valley.
“Modi was camping at the Gujarat Bhavan in New Delhi, on the night of June 17. The next day, he was to attend the annual plan meeting. We had an emergency meeting at night to take stock of the situation. Gujaratis have deep faith in the ‘Char Dham yatra’ so we knew that there will be easily more than 20,000 Gujaratis in Uttarakhand. Only common sense was needed to understand the issue,” he said.

Most Hindu Gujarati families dream of visiting Kedarnth-Badrinath and Gangotri-Yamuontri once in a lifetime. It’s a part of the Hindu family tradition. There are hundreds of Gujarat-based tour operators who specialise only in the ‘Char Dham’ yatra. Sometimes, rich families book an entire train to take relatives on the yatra.

On June 17, the camp office was opened at the Gujarat Bhavan. Then, one more camp office was opened right inside the control room of Uttarakhand government. On the same day, Modi asked his officers to enquire with Uttarakhand government the status of the Gujarati pilgrims.

The Uttarakhand government said that the Kedranath and Gangotri routes were facing deluge, floods and landslides. On the morning of June 18, three officers of the Delhi-based resident commissioner’s office were asked to co-ordinate and help the Gujarati pilgrims.

Soon, these three officers found out that more than 40 people were stuck in the Kedarnath temple. In spite of information of the location of Gujarati pilgrims it was difficult to co-ordinate at Dehradun.

In no time, mobile numbers of Uttarakhand’s collectors, deputy collectors and disaster management officers were found out and circulated. As soon as information from Gujarat arrived about the missing pilgrims, the government officers knew whom to contact in Uttarakhand.

A system was set up for passing the information to the right person in the field.  Also, on June 19, an advertisement in Gujarati papers was given about the available help of the government with all relevant telephone numbers.

On the same day, Modi wrote a detailed letter to Mallikarjun Kharge, the railway minister, requesting him to arrange for special trains. Modi requested that the railways should not charge the fare and serve free food on trains because people had lost everything.

Senior officers of the Gujarat government started writing letters to the Uttarakhand government from June 18 onwards. In one of the letters written on June 18, they gave details of the 94 pilgrims lost somewhere in mountains of the Kedar Valley. But, soon officers understood that by writing letters, things won’t move.
So, more than 25 officers from Gujarat were sent along with doctors to Dehradun on June 19. Modi gave a cheque of Rs 2 crore to Uttarakhand when not many people had an actual idea of the disaster, said the officer.

The officer said, “We received first request from Gujarat’s agriculture minister to help 27 pilgrims of the ‘Jaishree Ambe Ma Pariwar’. We forwarded it to Dehradun.”

Dhirubhai Patel was the first Gujarati pilgrim whose death was officially reported from Uttarakhand. The officer handled his body and helped his relatives with the cremation.

“Until June 20, we were coordinating individual cases, but when Modi went to Uttarakhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh cadres got galvanised. For the saffron cadre, Modi is next to God. His presence made the difference,” said the officer.

“In his presence they started the rescue work with vigour and helped in locating victims. They knew the local terrain so they could guide victims to take the shortest route to reach safe places,” he added.

The figure of evacuation of 15,000 pilgrims in two days can be surely doubted, but Gujarat state team’s drive and talent to handle the disaster cannot be.

Source: http://www.rediff.com/news/report/how-narendra-modi-managed-his-rescue-act-in-uttarakhand/20130624.htm

RSS Sarasanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat’s advice accepted by Advani, Crisis over, says Rajnath Singh

New Delhi June 11, 2013: Amidst high media enthusiasim, BJP President Rajnath Sing declared that the crisis emerged within BJP after its patriarch LK Advani’s resignation is over.

‘LK Advani accepts BJP parliamentary board decision by rejecting his resignation’, said Rajnath Singh.

Mohan Bhagwat- LK Advani-Vilas-Dangre in a programme: FILE

‘”Today afternoon, RSS sarsanghchalak (chief) Shri Mohan Bhagwat spoke to Shri Advani and asked him to respect BJP Parliamentary Board decision and continue to guide the party in national interest. Shri Advani has decided to accept Shri Bhagwat’s advice,” informed Rajnath Sing in the Press Meet, along with senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley and others.

Earlier, Yesterday, 85-year-old LKAdvani, a founder member of the BJP and the tallest leader after Atal Bihari Vajpayee, resigned from all main forums of the party — parliamentary board, national executive and election committee, a day after Modi was anointed BJP’s campaign chief for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

In a strongly-worded resignation letter to party president Rajnath Singh, who announced the appointment of Modi as chairman of the election campaign committee on Sunday in the BJP national executive, Advani rued that the BJP was no longer the “same idealistic party” created by Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya, Nanaji Deshmukh and Vajpayee.

However, Advani was absent for the press meet, Rajnath Singh himself clarified that ‘I was the one who requested Advani to stay away from this press conference.’

Resolution: Political resolution passed in BJP National Executive Meeting at Panaji (Goa)

Bharatiya Janata Party National Executive Meeting

Panaji (Goa) 8-9 June, 2013

POLITICAL RESOLUTION 

In this sixty sixth year of independence -- when the post globalosation born generation expected fulfillment of their great aspirations from the government of the day--  the non-performing UPA has driven all sections of the society in great despair. This National Executive of the BJP meeting at Goa, through this resolution gives voice to the feeling of betrayal deep in the minds of the people. This resolution is the articulation of our commitment to throw this most corrupt govt. lock, stock and barrel.

On May 22, 2013 the Congress-led UPA-II government completed four years in office. Self-certification and self-congratulation were the only noticeable features of this muted celebration. Its leaders had nothing tangible or worthwhile that might merit commendation. The environment was dominated by gloom, pessimism and negativity. UPA-II's only achievement appears to be that it has completed four years in office. As far as the people's judgment is concerned, this government has inflicted serious damage on the nation.

In the long list of crimes committed against the people of India by the Congress in the last four years, three stand out: obnoxious corruption; degradation of the economy; and a malignant assault on the federal spirit of our polity.

There has been monumental corruption, with scam following scam involving massive loot of public money, rank mal-governance and causing untold misery to the common man. The entire growth story of India is in doubt because of a leadership that is unsure and indecisive. This depressing combination has seriously dented the image of India.

DEFECTIVE STRUCTURE OF LEADERSHIP

The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is not the real leader of this government. He is merely in office, not in authority. True power vests with UPA chairperson Shrimati Sonia Gandhi, who has the last word on policy issues. For its future, Congress looks towards the heir apparent, her son. The woeful weakness of the office of Prime Minister in a nation like India is evident in the fact that senior ministers and party leaders routinely signal their obedience to dynasty by demanding that Shri Rahul Gandhi be declared leader and Prime Minister candidate for the next election while Dr Singh is compelled to seek, periodically, a certificate for his continuance from Shrimati Sonia Gandhi.

In fact, the President of Samajwadi Party, on whose crutches UPA-II substantially depends to survive, has publicly commented that Dr Manmohan Singh is not a strong leader and is not free to take decision. Despite being PM for nine consecutive years, Dr Singh has become synonymous with indecision, inability and silence at great cost to the country.

RAMPANT CORRUPTION IS UPA'S DEFINING FEATURE

The BJP has said repeatedly that Congress-led UPA is the most corrupt government since independence; each passing day only reinforces that impression. Bribery, kickbacks, gross financial impropriety and endless scams have become so common it is difficult to keep count. There is no guarantee that another major scam might not explode soon.

The arrogance of power has made Congress indifferent to popular outrage. It used each day in office to loot the nation's resources, whether in farmers' land, spectrum, or mines, even as individual ministers, encouraged by laissez faire freedom in corruption accumulated private bounties wherever and whenever they could. Just a few weeks ago, one Cabinet minister was forced to resign because a relative was caught by police soliciting bribes in his name. A second had to go because he was manipulating CBI evidence to disguise the Prime Minister's authorisation for the scandalous allotment of coal mines. Like a fish, Congress has begun to rot from head down. The family of the Congress president was involved in dubious deals on farming land. And the Italian police have mentioned the involvement of a "family" within the ruling hierarchy which has been allegedly paid off to obtain the Agusta helicopter deal.

This massive loot of public money has taken place because of patronage and involvement of people at the very top of the Congress pyramid. In coalgate, the biggest of these scams, involving loot of Rs 1.87 Lakh crores, the role of the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh himself is under serious scrutiny because he was also Coal Minister when the scam happened. When the Supreme Court began to monitor the CBI investigation in coalgate, a former Law Minister and officials tried to interfere and change the status report to dilute evidence against the highest in the land, in this case the Prime Minister. Indians were also aghast to learn, in the past few weeks, that the highest posts in the Railway Board were being sold by the family of the Railway Minister. The PM and Shrimati Sonia Gandhi tried to protect this minister even in the face of national outrage, and they were compelled to resign only because of relentless public pressure and an assertive campaign by the BJP. The last session of Parliament was a complete washout because of the government's obstinacy in protecting the Law and Railways Ministers. curiously, two days after the session ended the two resigned. Such is the dismal record of political accountability within this UPA government.

The massive corruption in allotment of 2G licenses by the Minister of Telecommunications remains one of the most shameful stories in independent India; here too, the PM and present Finance Minister P. Chidambaram have a lot to explain. Shockingly, their role is not being investigated at all. Similarly, there is no investigation against Delhi Chief Minister Shrimati Shiela Dikshit despite the fact that the Shunglu Committee report has exposed her government's unsavoury involvement in the Commonwealth Games scam. Besides, the Delhi Lokayukta too has recently severely indicted the Delhi Chief Minister and yet brazenly, Mrs Dikshit has the gumption to say that corruption is not an issue in Delhi.
BJP is also concerned over the reported patronage and sharing of public dais by Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Shila Dikshit with person accused of terrorist attack on an Israeli diplomat.

The UPA government has done nothing to bring back black money, estimated at Rs 25 lakh crores, stashed away in foreign banks;  or to pursue those who made money in the commercial allotment of prime land worth thousands of crores in the privatization of the international airport in Delhi; the Adarsh housing scandal; or those who took bribes in the Agusta helicopter deal. Shrimati Sonia Gandhi and her son maintained a conspicuous silence, particularly about the last.

In 2009, Shrimati Gandhi declared that corruption would be brought under control within a hundred days. Instead, it has become a cancer afflicting all parts of the body politic. It was only because of the sustained campaign by the BJP, inside and outside Parliament, the splendid initiative taken media and social organizations, and intervention by the courts that investigation is underway.


WEAKENING OF INSTITUTIONS

UPA has deliberately and consistently weakened and disregarded democratic institutions. This has been done in many ways, both overt and surreptitious. Among them is the quality of appointees to Constitutional and statutory offices. UPA is a minority government that owes its survival to CBI, which has become pliable and partisan.  Congress uses a policy of carrot and stick to retain the support in Parliament, at decisive moments, of parties like Samajwadi and the Bahujan Samaj Party. Some appointments to august bodies like the Election Commission, National Human Rights Commission and CVC have been highly questionable. Legitimate concerns have been brushed aside with impunity. There have been instances where major appointments have been set aside by the judiciary. Senior ministers have publicly criticised CAG when it has stood up, with integrity, and done its duty by the Constitution and the people of India by exposing financial improprieties of this government. The manner in which the Congress tried to belittle the sanctity of an important Parliamentary institution like the JPC forced members of this body, cutting across party lines, to seek the removal of its chairman.

Immobilised by scandal, and bereft of national purpose, the Congress-led UPA has weakened India through a weak government. The erosion of India’s credibility is visible in the aggressive postures of some neighbours, while others treat our most important concerns, like terrorism, with callous indifference. Leaders of those malignant and militant organisations who perpetrated the unforgiveable assaults on Mumbai in 1993 and 2008 are safe in their sanctuary, while we shuffle out a response that can only be described as appeasement.

STATE OF ECONOMY

Statistics measure, but can never accurately convey, the painful impact of economic free-fall. We have witnessed since 2004 what can only be described as a decade of gloom. The charismatic leadership of Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, and his wise, mature policies, set India on the path to high growth, poverty alleviation through higher national revenues, and the creation of an infrastructure for a modern economy. The Congress-led UPA has driven India into economic despond. Growth has slipped from 8.3% in 2004, when NDA demitted office, to a miserable 5% today. Inflation has robbed food from the poor and middle class, in both city and village. The whiplash of unemployment and under-employment has left scars on the minds of the poor. There is paralysis in decision-making, which has hurt the industrial sector immeasurably.  There has been major growth in just one area: the wealth of those in power and their cronies.

Gross economic mismanagement and miserable governance by an "economist" Prime Minister has punctured and paralysed India's growth story. UPA inherited a growing and booming economy in 2004. The initial years of UPA showed growth because of the impetus of its inheritance. The unprecedented price rise during UPA years has caused immense hardship to the common man. The investment environment in the country has been strangled. One a showcase for the world, the Indian economy has lost its bounce and attraction. A reverse flight has begun in investment; Indian industrialists are finding better investment destinations abroad. Unemployment is rampant as job creation has taken a massive hit. Growth has plummeted to 5%, a stark statistic reeking of failure.
Even success stories such as telecom, power, national highways, rural roads and seaports have suffered setbacks under the UPA. The rupee has weakened to dangerous levels. A decision like the government's move to allow FDI in the multi-brand sector is a serious setback to domestic retail, manufacturing and consumers.
Agriculture is suffering because of policies that can only ensure calamity. The Indian farmer suffers from heavy debt; irrigation facilities are meagre. The agricultural growth rate in most parts of the country is inadequate. Farmer suicides continued unabated, and UPA remains an indifferent, heartless spectator. The agricultural growth that we see now is predominantly on account of significant growth in states like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar.

Dr Manmohan Singh tried to explain this on the fourth anniversary of UPA-II by saying that the glass is half full. He forgot that Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee left him with a glass rising towards the brim. After nine years, that glass is full only of corruption.

ATROCITIES ON WOMEN

The sanctity and security of women has become extremely vulnerable under UPA. Gender atrocity has become the order of the day. Rape, gang rape, sexual assault, acid attacks have become commonplace. Popular protest forced tightening of the law, but its effect is still not being felt in real life.

BJP-LED NDA IS ONLY CREDIBLE ALTERNATIVE

BJP congratulates its State governments in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Punjab and Goa for a sterling performance that has won the hearts of people. These governments, alone or in alliance, have lifted millions from the degradation of poverty through economic growth and honestly-administered welfare programmes. They have  ensured peace and harmony between communities. Every community, whether of the majority or minority religious or caste persuasion, is equal. The true meaning of secularism is sarva dharma sambhav. Our positive discrimination programmes have recognised hunger as the true problem that needs emergency attention; and our gender promotion programmes cut across every divide.

In contrast, the record of UPA is one of despair. The people are enraged by corruption, price rise, bad governance and the indifference of those in power. The BJP shall continue to serve the people by taking up their cause, and challenging this decrepit government. We promise the people that it shall restore our nation's pride in itself, and relieve our country from gloom and depression. It is a proven fact that NDA under the able leadership of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee had taken the country way ahead on the path of progress. We had converted the economy of scarcity into an economy of surplus. Connectivity was the watch word of those days. From telecommunication to highways we had successfully tried for integrating this great nation. Our credibility on the front of Good Governance is further consolidated by the performance of BJP-NDA states. Remember, all the important and prestigious awards for Good Governance, nationally and internationally; have come to our State Govts and we take pride in this fact.

The nation has been driven back to the edge of an abyss. In such a crisis, the defeat of the UPA is not merely a partisan wish, but a national responsibility.

The people have already decided to kick out the UPA and welcome the NDA. BJP is the vehicle for bringing this resolved into reality.
We must remember that since a BJP-led NDA is the only credible alternative to a defunct UPA we have an onerous responsibility. Dethroning this government that dithers is now our historic duty and we must discharge the same with all our strength.

*****

Speech: Sh. Rajnath Singh at BJP National Executive Meeting at Panaji (Goa)

Bharatiya Janata Party
National Executive Meeting

Panaji (Goa)
8-9 June, 2013

Presidential Address
By
Shri Rajnath Singh

Friends, we met in the first week of March, at the last executive committee meeting in Delhi. Since then many new develpments have taken place. Some of them were truly sad and unfortunate. The barbaric naxal attack on the Congress Yatra in Chattisgarh shocked the entire nation. After that tragic incident the BJP called off its ‘Jail Bharo Agitation’ in a show of solidarity. At this meeting, I offer my condolences on behalf of the BJP to all political activists, leaders, security personnel and civilians killed in that attack.

In the meanwhile few encouraging developments have also taken place. We registered an emphatic victory in the Lok Sabha and assembly by-polls held recently in Gujarat. The BJP wrested all the seats from the Congress party.Our margin of victory also increased. Therefore, I would like to congratulate Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Bhai Modi and the State BJP President extend my gratitude to all the BJP workers and the people of Gujarat who made those victories possible.

Friends, we are today assembled in Goa. And while being here,I can’t but help remember the great poet Krishnadas Sama. The 16th century poet Sama not only translated the epics likeMahabharata and Ramayana into Konkani and Marathi, but also rendered the Krishna story in a contemporary milieu to inspire us to confront adversity.

Goa is also witness to the time when Westren world (Europe) was eagerly looking for the viable routeto reach by the sea to India. One should keep in mind that  be it Spain’s Christopher Columbus or Portugal’s Vasco da Gama, both sought to reach India by travelling in opposite directions. Eventually it was Vasco da Gama who became the first European to chart the best sea route possible to India. Even though Goa remained under Portuguese rule for 450 years and despite being under foreign domination for many years our prosperity was so enticing to the rest of the world that everyone wanted to come over to this land.

I firmly believe that during this National Executive meeting in Goa, we shall commit ourselves to take to newser heights of prosperity under the BJP’s leadership. So much so, that anyone in the world should dream ofcoming to India.

Swami Vivekananda

The country is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. He was the first ever Indian who became the global symbol of India’s emerging youth power. A question may arise that how inspiring a19th century youth icon like Vivekanand would be for youth this 21st century of rapid globalisation? Swami Vivekananda was not only a great thinker, but also a great visionary. Today, as the youth of India is looking forward to reach higher in life   he should also pay special attention to both India and his own future. And in that respect, Swamiji’s words assume all the more relevance.

After returning from his historic visit to the US, at his first public meeting in Rameshwaram on January 25, 1897, he said: "She is awakening, this motherland of ours, from her deep long sleep."

Elaborating upon the collective consciousness of India as a nation Swamiji said, “This nation still lives; the raison d'etre is, it still holds to God, to the treasure-house of religion and spirituality'.”

And in the same speech he exhorted the youth of India:“... assimilate what you can learn from every nation, take what is of use to you. But stand on your own feet; hold on to your own spirituality; to your own religion; to your own values.”

Today, due to the gross neglect of those core values, our country is on the decline and corruption is visible in every sphere of liferight from politics to the world of sports. We should strive to spread the message given by Swami Vivekananda by reaching out to the people.I would like to suggest the chief ministers of BJP ruled states that life and works of Swami Vivekananda should be included in school curriculum of their states. 

Erosion of Institutions Under Congress Rule

The month of June reminds of yet another unfortunate incident in India’s political history which was the imposition of Emergecy in the country in 1975. It was classic example of how the decline in values and the increase in lust for power can inflict a great damage on the country. But June also reminds us the fact as to how a new revolution was begun under Jayprakash Narain’s leadership in 1974. The BJP too played a active role in that revolution through the erstwhile Janasangh. Therefore the month of June is quite significant in India’s political history.

Today the Congress party has once again devalued many institutions in this country. We, therefore, need a new political revolution to avert the imminent multiple crises facing India.

Friends, last month the Congress led UPA government completed four years of its second term. And blowing their own trumpet, they released a report card of their “achievements.” But any report card invites critical feedback too to establish the the veracity of its claims. I would like to highlight only four points from the UPA’s four years in power.

1. CAG’s observations on the 2G scam;
2. Supreme Courts observations on the CBI investigations into the Coalgate scam.
3. International credit ratings agencies on the state of the Indian economy;
4. And the economic growth rate  dipping to its lowest level in a decade which is less than 5 %.

These are not mere arguments, but hard facts... This is not logic, but pure Mathematics.

And it surprises me that despite the truth coming out, the UPA is resorting to cover up this reality through gimmicks.

A striking example of UPA’s efforts at misleading people by making tall promises is their unfulfilled claim to control inflation within 100 days...

I would now like to cite another example from the World Bank’s Global Tracking Framework Report that reveals that India leads the globe in the per capita unavailability of power. The report says that over 300 million in India don’t have access to basic needs like electricity.

The Congress party scarred our Parliamentary democracy by indulging itself in Cash for Vote scam in a desperate bid to get the Indo-US nuclear deal ratified with the support of Samajwadi Party and others in 2008? At that time, the government had claimed that the deal will soon put an end to the ongoing power crisis in the country.

Next month, it will be five years since the signing of the Indo-US nuclear deal. I would like to ask the people of the country have they got any relief from power outages?

Mind you, five years is a long time.Yet even then 300 million of our citizens are forced to live in darknessOnce again, Congress’ claim has turned out to be hollow.

The Congress, Samajwadi party and all the others who voted in favour of the deal,should now, in all humility, apologise to the nation.

Making fasle promises is not something exclusive to this UPA Government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh but it has been the DNA of all Congress governments in the past as well. Way back in the 1970s Indiraji had given a populist slogan: “Garibi hatao!” (End poverty!). Do we have any less number of poor people in India after nearly four decades? Today, in 2013, in all its eagerness to get the Food Security Bill cleared the Congress that is saying that two-thirds of India are so poor that they need subsidised food. This implies that even after 40 years two-thirds of our population remain so desperately poor that it is unable to feed itself.

The Congress party only likes to fool people by making hollow promises. During the Congress’ long rule, the idea of India, Indians and Indianness has been badly hit.

But I would like to assure the people of our great nation, if we are given a chance to rule for at least ten years, we will make so much difference that the need for any populist measure like Bharat Nirmaan or Food Security Bill will be reduced to a naught. We will work to restore the image and prestige of our nation globally. You already had a glimpse of that during the NDA regime led by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Long History of Congress Corruption 

The Congress has a long history of giving patronage to corruption. And I am not talking of much vaunted episodes of corruption during the time of late Narsimha Rao or late Rajiv Gandhi governments. I would rather like to remind the people of this country that after attaining Independence in 1950 India was rated tenth in the list of the most transparent countries. Pandit Nehru used to often mention about it in his speeches. But it was during the same Pandit Nehru’s rule; the jeep scam involving Krishna Menon came to the limelight. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report tabled in Parliament castigated Menon but he was made the Defence Minister by Pandit Nehru.  After that in 1957 the Mundhra scam happened and the then finance minister TT Krishnamachari was first forced to resign but only to bemade a minister again.

A series of scams that happened during all these Congress regimes have culminated in India being rated today as one of the most corrupt countries in the world by a Transparency International report. As per the Transparency International list, India is ranked today with countries like Nigeria. Even Pakistan fared better than India on this list.

The Congress has continued its patronage to corruption since India’s independence and it continues to haunt us even today. Now the situation has simply gone out of control.Today what is at stake is not just related to corruption at the centre, but the credibility of our system is also at stake. Therefore, to reinstate public confidence in the system, only a change of government will not be sufficient, but drastic change is required in the entire system. We in the BJP, with our vision, capability and experience, are committed to that goal. And if we get voted to power, we will prove it!

Economy In Shambles

Having completed nine years under the leadership of an ‘ Economist Prime Minister,’ the Indian economy has so far only been able to achieve two things: 1. Ruining of the splendid growth of the economy unleashed by the NDA regime; and 2. Increase in income disparity within the country.

Two data points are good enough to prove my charges against the UPA government.In 2004 when we went out of power, the GDP growth rate was 8.4% and inflation rate was at 3.77%.

According to the recently released statistics by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO), our growth rate has nowplummeted to even lower than 5%, while rate of inflation continues to remain higher around 7 percent.

The CSO has also indicated that in 2012-13, the growth rate of our all important agriculture and manufacturing sector is periliously low at 1.9% and 1%, respectively.

Today, we also know that India’s fiscal deficit is 4.8% while the Current Account Deficit (CAD) is also hovering dangerously at 6.7 percent. Yet the UPA regime chooses to blame “the international economic environment” for this miserable state of our economy. There are certain economies in the world which have been labelled fragile. But, here I would like to recall the time when Atalji despite economic sanctions, Kargil war, and the 2001 slowdown managed to maintain an impressive growth trajectory  and transformed the Indian economy as something which could be called ‘Anti Fragile!’By ‘Anti Fragile’ I mean an economy which does not crumble under pressure but takes maximum advantage of the adversities present in the system.

The UPA’s economic mismanagement and corruption have pushed the country to the brink. My charges against the government are not based on some flimsy grounds but I have hard facts to back the argument. The UPA government’s biggest mistake was that it dileberately slowed down various big ticket infrastructure projects kick-started by the NDA government. And that had adversely impacted the economic growth and job creation in the country.

Under the UPA, infrastructure projects worth billions of rupees have simply got stuck due to its inability to give clearance. Although, there has been a gradual decline in the order book of infrastructure companies in the recent past but despite that, it collectively stood more 100 billion USD. But this year the state of the infrastructure sector is so pathetic that the total order book of companies in the sector has been reduced to nearly 50 billion USD

It is pertinent to ask how does these numbers affect the common man?So I will simply throw some light on how these numbers make an impact on job sector. According to a McKinsey & Co. report published earlier in January  2013  and used by the Wall Street Journal, if a mere 1% of the GDP is invested in infrastructure, nearly 3.4 million direct and indirect job opportunities are created in the economy. But we in India only invest 4.7% of our GDP in infrastructure, while in our immediate neighbourhood, China proactively spends 8.5% on infrastructure.

It is, therefore, evident that by slowing down infrastructure projects, the UPA government has not only weakened the economy but also deprived millions of our youth of gainful employment!

According to NSSO from 1999 to 2004, over 60.7 million job opportunities were created in the economy, while from 2004 to 2009, merely 2.7 million were added!

On the other hand, most of the BJP and NDA ruled states have successfully maintained a steady and higher growth rate and created numerous job opportunities. Meanwhile, disbursal of agricultural loans at 0% interest has helped in setting new records in food production and provided food security to over 90% of the populace in these BJP/NDA ruled states.I think that these figures make it amply clear who is actually contributing to India’s growth.

If the BJP-led government is voted to power, then we will once again invest in big infrastructure projects like the Vajpayee government  and provide the economy a much needed boost and  also create the right environment for job creation.

Income Disparity

The misguided economic policies of the UPA government have turned our economy sluggish. Economic disparity has reached to a level where the share of 5% of our populace in the national expenditure has increased to 21.3%. Therefore, it’s only the economic level of 20% people that has changed, while 80% people not only continue to live in deprivation, but even among them there is a large section whose standard of living has simply declined!

The rise in number of billionaires can be a cause celebre only when the number of the marginalised, those languishing below the poverty line, also delines significantly. Yet the irony is that despite having reduced the level of poverty to Rs32 and Rs26 daily, over 30 percent of our citizens continue to live below the poverty line. And this disparity in income is a big challenge before our Nation.

As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has rightly pointed out in a reportthat increasing economic disparity is dangerous as it could lead to civil unrest in the country.

The present dispensation could make hollow claims of development through clever statistics but the situation on the ground is gloomy as there is no glimmer of hope for the common man.

Prosperity and happiness are not mere words for the BJP but a combination of factors which includes regular jobs for millions of unemployed youth, regular income, self-respect and a deep sense of satisfaction in the people of the country. I am firmly of the opinion that it is only possible through proper job creation, and not just by providing doles a few days in a year.

The Congress does not have an economic philosophy of its own. It started out by aping the socialist ways of the erstwhile USSR during the Nehru regime. Then Narsimha Rao or Manmohan Singh governments found inspiration in the American capitalist  model which stoked unbridled consumerism in the country.

Communism ended with disintegration of Soviet Union towards the last decade of the 20th century. In China, the Communist government gave Communism a quiet burial. Modern China has nothing to do with the ideas of Communism as it has welcomed capitalism and MNCs with open arms. The US today has become unstable due to slower growth it leaves little scope for unabashed  capitalism to lead the global growth engine in the 21^st century.

I firmly believe that Communism as an ideology is almost dead, capitalism is also choking. In both these economic arrangements the problem is the inability to give society the freedom from hardship and give the people of all sections their respective due. India needs an alternate model unlike the Communist or Capitalist model. The Indian model of growth should be inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's ideas of Swadeshi and Sarvodaya. Even in modern India these ideas have significance. The co-operative movement started from Anand in Gujarat has helped India attain new heights in milk production. If we create similar farmer cooperative committees at the block leveland encourage them to operate on commercial level it will certainly help in liberating the people of India from hunger.  It will also help usin becoming the food capital of the world. Any model for progress is meaningless unless it provides avenuves to people to come out of poverty and deprivation.

Our Nationcan only progress when people arehappy. The model for development should be holistic in approach. Any social and political problem in this country willthen be easily resolved.Therefore, if our government is voted to power, our motto will be: 

Khushali main haq ho sabka, pichda rahe na koi tabka!(Let everyone be a part of progress, with none being left behind!)

Naxal Issue

The misguided policies of the government on issues like terrorism and naxalism have assumed such proportions where terrorism has grown manifold due to itsappeasement policy and lack of poilitical will and Naxalism has risen due to the failure of the government on several fronts.

Unless there is an integrated approach there will be no permanent soultion to boththe problems. If even after ruling for 56 years out of the 66 years since Independence,theresource rich areas of the country are under the influence of Naxalism, the policies of the Congress are directly responsible for it. The biggest problem is that the Congress and Left parties have made huge mistakes by protecting people who believe in an extremist ideology and violent activities.

We have to understand the difference between naxalism and the extremist Maoists. While Naxalism started in 1967 as a movement by peasants against land owners,it was soon turned by some Leftist intellectuals into a violent Maoist movement where power could only be attained through the barrel of a gun. While doing that they paintedsuch a romantic image of Naxalism,where it was made to look like autopian ideologywhichcould provide a simple solution for all problems facing the poor.

TodayNaxalism has spread to 16 states and 200 districts of India. Nearly 40% of India is under its influence. According to a credible estimate that the naxalites today nearly 18 thousand recurits and possess more than 20 thousand weapons. They are connected with many dreaded terrorsit organizations. To sympathize with these Naxals is against the national interest.

The congress has done great harm to the democracy and the interest of poor tribals by extending ideological cover to Naxalism. It is appalling that some staunch supporters of naxalism are members in prestigious committees of the Planning Commission and National Advisory Council. Using these forums they have made the government a medium to sow seeds of discord and discontentment against the State in the minds of the poor.

The BJP believes in safeguarding the rights of the farmers, labourers and tribals to ensure equitable and harmonious progress.This goal can not be achieved through pursuing any Leftist philosophy but only through the principles propounded by visionaries like Swami Sahajanand Saraswati and the late Datopant Thengadi.

Food Security

These days theCongress is making baseless allegations that the law providing food security for two third of the population has been blocked by us. Firstly, the Congress has to  admit its mistake that even after 50 years of one party rule, two thirds of India is still deprived of food security. Whereas the BJP ruled states have been able to provide food security.The BJP ruled Chattisgarh was the first state to enshrine food security into law, and provided not just two thirds but 90% of its populacewith foodgrains at a price lower than what has been proposed by the Centre. Simultaneously Madhya Pradesh,Gujarat and other BJP ruled states have done a commendable job in providing food security to the poor sections of the society.

The BJP is very serious on the issue of food security. During Atalji's time we had initiated this by launching a food security programme through ‘Antyodaya Food Grain Scheme’.

In the proposed draftFood Security Bill by the UPA Government we see a lot of objectionable things. Like no importance has been given to the food producing famers in the bill. There is no guarantee of giving the farmer a minimum support price for his yield. In absence of this safety mechanism the famer will be forced to sell his produce in distress. How can food security be ensured without factoring innatural calamities such drought or guaranteeing a minimum support pricefor yield?The issue of Food Security Bill will be taken up separately.

Misuse of constitutional Institutions

The Supreme Court had ordered the CBI to submit its status report directly to the court which was investigating into the Coal scam worth Rs1.86 lakh crore. But the UPA government armtwsited the CBI not only to share its report with the PMO officials and the then law minister but also changed its content.

It is now evident that changes weremade in the status report and the SC directives were ignored which was a contempt of court. If the government believed in upholding the dignity of the judiciary, it would have atleast shared the original report with it by now.

The UPA government in its tenure has misused every constitutional institutions and post without any hesitation.Be it an investigative agency such as the CBI or a constitutional post such as that of a governor, the Congress has openly politicized these institutions and ignored the opposition.

The UPA Government has shown little regard towards the wise consul provided by the opposition. Recentlly Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Smt. Sushma Swaraj and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Shri Arun Jaitley wrote a note of dissent over the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman’s appointment but the simply ignored it.

Even earlier the opposition has shown its disapproval towards the appointment of the CVC and governors, but the UPA just turned a deaf ear to it. In Indian democracy the the Congress party has always functioned in an arbitrary manner. The UPA neither has the political experience to take the opposition into confidence nor the ability to avoid confrontation.

Telangana

The situation in the Telengana region of Andhra Pradesh is quite grim. For a very long time Telangana has not got its due. During my last tenure as the president of BJP in 2006 I had announced that we would carve out a separate state of Telengana. I would like to reiterate our party’s commitment that if we come to power in the next Lok Sabha elections, we will ensure the creation of Telangana. We created the states of Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Chattisgarh in the year 2000 and this time the BJP will make Telengana a reality. 

North East

These days the North Eastern States seem to have become a playground for the extremist forces. Illegal immigration from Bangladeshhas become a big threat.An effective policy needs to be formulated to resolve impending problems in the region.  The BJP believes that by tapping the unique human resources and available natural resources a new direction could be given to development in the region.

Neighbourhood and Our Foreign Policy

Ever since the UPA government has come to power, India’s foreign policy has become disoriented and ineffective. The UPA government’s foreign policyis so weak that it is not only large countries like China, but even smaller countries like Maldives giving India a hard time.

China

The way Chinese troops intruded deep inside the Daulat Beg Oldie sector in the Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir in April and stayed there illegally is a sure sign that the UPA has failed in pursuing India’s diplomacy and defence.

The case of illegal occupation of Indian territory by Chinese forces was presented as some routine incident by the UPA Government.  But when the Chinese soldiers withdrew,they immediately claimed a huge diplomatic victory. There are media reports that the UPA Government has made some secret deal with China. If these reports are incorrect then why the bunkers build for the safety of our soldiers near the LAC close to Chumar Valley in Jammu &Kashmir have been dismantled?Why the traditional sheperds living living close to the border of India-China are being told  to avoid grazing their livestock on their very own soil?

China presence in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) areas of Gilgit and Baltistan is a cause of concern for us.  If China is serious about improving bilateral ties with India it should remove its forces from the PoK. The UPA has maintained complete silence on this issue whereas the Indian Parliament has recently passed a resolution claming PoK as its own territory.

India and China's defence capacities have no match.  While our defence budget is $36 billion China's defence budget is at a staggering $112 billion. We have to be mindful of the fact as to how belligerant China has become in cyber warfare and about its place in space race. We cannot turn a blind eye to militarization of the Tibetan Autonomous Region: 58,000km roads, railway connectivity up to Lhasa, five airbases and a nuclear missile base.

The manner in which China is exerting pressure on Vietnam in the South China Sea it clearly reveals strong arm tacticts to tilt the balance of power not just along the borders of India, but in the Asia-Pacific region as well.Therefore, we believe that under UPA rule the strategic and economic rights of India are being compromised daily.

Human Rights Violations in Tibet

In past few months hundreds of Buddhist monks have committed self-immolation in protest against the violation of human rights by China in Tibet. Tibet is not only a region sharing borders with India, but also the biggest center of Buddhism. India cannot remain insensitive to the atrocities being committed on the Buddhist monks in Tibet as we share a long history of cultural affinity with this region.

Pakistan

The BJP welcomes the victory of Shri Nawaz Sharif in the recently held general elections in Pakistan. Democracy gaining strength in Pakistan, guarantees peace in the South Asian region.

The BJP welcomes Shri Nawaz Sharif’s statement, but we are cautiously optimistic. I am sounding caution because historically speaking the ties between Indian and Pakistan have become so entangled that to untangle them requires not just words, but also some concrete action. Pakistan's new government will have to ensure that its peace initiatives do not fail due to the presence of extremist elements on its own soil.

Recently the Home Minister has made a statement that Pakistan’s intelligence agency the ISI was actively involved in misguiding Sikh youth to take up terrorist activities. If Pakistan wants to improve relations with India such activtities should stopped immediately.

Pakistan’s surrender of its Gwadar Naval base to China, setting up two new nuclear reactors with China’s help and a rapid increase in its missile capabilites are some as some troubling aspects. Pakistan will have to be sincere in addressing our concerns.

The UPA government shouldnot turn a blind eye on the inhumane attrocities being commited on the Hindu and Sikh minorities living in Pakistan. The government should provide visas to Sikh and Hindu refugees arriving from Pakistan, andif they want citizenship then we should definitely think about it in a sympathetic manner. It is so saddening that the Congress government, whichremainsso stingy in extending visas toPakistani Sikhs and Hindus, has no problem in turning the illegal migrants from Bangladesh into a vote bank.

Afghanistan

The NATO forces will withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014 and the BJP remainsconcerned about its consequences. The UPA government should actively cooperate in rebuilding Afghanistan and also draw-up an effective security strategy post 2014.

Historically speaking, the Indian Subcontinent has been peaceful only when Kabul and Kandhar have been relatively peaceful. A peaceful and stable Afghanistan is strategically important to India.

Nepal

In recent years some contentious issues have cropped up between India and Nepal. That has resulted in differences being created between the two nations. Nepal has become passage of infiltration for terrorist orgnisations into India. The country has also become the transit point for sending fake Indian currency notes, arms and drugs into India.India and Nepal should actively try to address these issues.

Nepal is going through a Constitutional crisis these days. The BJP desires that all political parties of Nepal should find a solution to this crisis and form a durable government which could contunie to maintain the cordial and amicable relations between both the countries.

Sri Lanka

In the neighbouring Sri Lanka confusion regarding the ‘Devolution of Powers’ provided by their 13th Constitutional Amendment still continues as the present government of Sri Lanka has gone back on its commitementeven before moving forward.

Since there is no arrangement for a structured dialogue between Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese speaking people even as the harassment of the latter continues unabated, the UPA government should put diplomatic pressure onthe Sri Lankan government to take significant steps towards a lasting and peaceful solution to the Tamil issue.

Myanmar 

Of late, communal tensions have have been on the rise in Myanmar. Incidents of communal violence between the Buddist and Muslim communities have increased and it has negatively impacted the positive environment build in the country through social and political change.

If there is peace and stability in Myanmar, it will augur well for the North Eastern states by opening new avenues of development between our two countries.

On the one hand the Congress led UPA government's lacklustre performanceinaddressing the economic to foreign policy issues has eroded the prestige of India, and on the other hand the BJP has set newbenchmarksin good governance and development in states ruled by it.

Good Governance and Development in BJP Ruled States

The BJPs commitment to good governance and progress is known all over the country. The BJP is the only political party in this country thathas established good governance and expedited growthwherever it has come to power. The BJPs development agenda is not only limited to some specific section of the societybut it also includes the marginalized people. Our state governments bear testimony to that.

Gujarat

This National Executive meeting is well aware of the Gujarat’s development model and its performance. The people of Gujarat have reposed their faith in the BJP and its chief minister Shri Narendra Modi. Gujarat`s progress is not only being discussed about at a national level, but alsoon the international arena too.

Madhya Pradesh

I am happy that today Madhya Pradesh is India’s“No.1 state in terms of its growth rate." Under the leadership of chief minister Shri Shivraj Singh, the government has established new records in the agriculture sector. And now the Madhya Pradesh government has undertaken a programme to provide 24 hours electricity to every village in the state under the ‘Atal Jyoti Yojana.’

Ifirmly believe that just like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh too will also become a state with 24 hours electricity supply.

Chattisgarh

For the past nine-and-a-half years the BJP has been ruling in Chattisgarh. Under the leadership of Dr Raman Singh, Chattisgarh has progressed and found stability. The successful implementation of the Food Security Law in the state has led even the Congress to come up with it’s a Food Security Bill at the national level.

Goa

During the assembly elections held last year in the state, the people of Goa voted the corrupt Congress regime out of power. Within a year after to power, the BJP, under the leadership of the Shri Manohar Parikkar, has not only provided the much-needed relief to the people but also made Goa a unqiue state in India where petrol is cheaper than diesel.

Chief Minister Shri Manohar Parikar’s ability as an administrator and his impeccable honesty  is known in every nook and corner of the state.

Upcoming state assembly elections

In November this year,assembly elections will be held in several states,among which two states, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, have the BJP governments, while the Congress is in power in Rajasthan and Delhi. I am confident that in all the four states the BJP Pradesh units are proactively working with victory in mind.

Wherever our governments are in power, we should highlight our achievements to the people. And where we are in the opposition, we will have to awaken the belief in the hearts of the people that the BJP can perform many times better than the Congress.

The BJP has people’s good wishes to peform a hattrick bothin Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh,while in Rajasthan and Delhi we have to move forward with the determination of victory in our hearts.

Recently I got the opportunity to attend many programmes both in Delhi and Rajasthan. In both places the people want to get rid of the Congress regime.

In Rajasthan, political scenario is getting clearer with every passing day as the ‘Suraj Sankalp Yatra’ under the leadership of Shrimati Vasundhara Raje Scindia has successfully caught the popular imagination.

We are equally hopeful about Delhi too. Delhi might not have got full statehood, but the state assembly elections have a great significanceat the national level. And that is why it is soimportant for us to win in the Delhi state assembly elections. We have been out of power in Delhi for 14 years. I am confident that the combined efforts of all our workers shall bring us back to power.

Booth Management and Booth Committees

In this election year we not only have to prepare for assembly elections in four states, but also for the next Lok Sabha elections. Keeping in mind the election management every state should complete the constitution of booth committees at the earliest. If booth committees are firmly in place in all the states then the BJP`s victory in the election is assured.

- To set up Booth committees all over the country, a Central Booth Management Committee shall be set up to oversee the data management and operation of all booth committees;

- Together with modern technology, traditional methods should also be used for booth management;

- I believe that as soon as this national executive is over all office beares will constantly review the progress of this important assignment.

- Efforts should be madeto ensure that booth committee workers are in regular touch with the state and central leaders.

100 Years of Indian Cinema

If we are in Goa the mention of Indian cinema is inevitable in this centenary year. Every year Goa hosts the International Film Festival. It was the NDA government that took the decision to make Goa as the permanent venue for the India International Film Festival. In 1913, Dada Sahab Phalke made the first Indian feature film Raja Harishchandra. On this occasion we all express our deepest gratitude to Dada Saheb Phalke.

Cinema has a deepimpact on the Indian society, especially on its youth. The Indian filmmakers and artistes have contributed immensely to the world of national as well as international entertainment. In this 100th year of Indian cinema I would also like to request the celebrities related to the film industry that keeping in mind the effect they have on societythey should contribute to uphold the values in society.

Youth

India has the largest youth population in the world and they want to see their country at the top in the 21st century. Today this aspiration of our youth is bestenshrined in two words: globalization and the social media. Social media is in itself one of the biggest driving forces of globalization. In today’s world,its importance has surpassed social and national boundaries. The National Executive meeting will deliberate upon how social media can be effectively harnessed to connect with the youth.

Women

Indian women today women are making an all out effort towards attaining new heights as well as to assert their rightful place in the society. The BJP has always played an effective role in women empowerment. We are the only political party in India to give one-third reservation to the women in our organization.

In the last few months, many incidents of atrocities against women have come to light. Those problems can just not be addressed by merely changing the law, but by also working to change the mindset of the people and the social arrangement. The BJP will include this in its political campaign.

60 Years of Dr Mukherjee’sSacrifice

Another point that I would like to highlight is the sacrifice that our founder Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee made for the unity and integrity of India. Coming June 23 will mark 60 years of his sacrifice. On this occasion, we pledge to stand by the ideology of Dr Mukherjee which was dedicated to maintain India’s national integrity.

BJP’S ‘Aahwahan’ 

From our perspective as a political party,of late, there has not been much of good news for us. We did not succeed as much as we had hopedin the Karnataka assembly elections. We will introspect and march ahead in the preprations for coming elections.

Our friends in the Congress are claiming that our defeat in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka has paved their way to victory in the Lok Sabha.

I accept our defeat in those three states in all humility. But in the same context, I would like to remind all our workers of a famous incident from world history.

During the World War II, Germany easily defeated Poland, Austria and then on June 10, 1940, France too surrendered. Filled with a newfoundconfidence, the German war machinery mounted a campaign to defeat Britain. On June 18, 1940, Winston Churchill gave his historic speech where he called upon his people not to lose their confidence despite the adverse circumstances and to show the world that theywould be the final and ultimate victors of the war so that even if the British commonwealth survived for a thousand years, it would be said “Thiswas their finest hour.” The outcome of the war is known to the world.

I would like to assure the BJP wokers today that though we might have lost in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Karnataka due to the certain circumstances, but we are committed to emerge as the final and ultimate victors. The BJP has to win this war in such a way so that when India`s history is written Winston Churchill`s quote stands true for us as well: "This was their finest hour”

In the end, I would like to exhort the BJP cadres to strive for decisive victory in the next elections.

*****

Resolution : Suraksha and Swabhiman passed in BJP National Executive Meeting at Panaji (Goa)

Bharatiya Janata Party
National Executive Meeting

Panaji  (Goa)
8-9 June, 2013

RESOLUTION ON SURAKSHA AND SWABHIMAN

The country’s internal and external security scenario is under severe threat.  The rising incidence of Maoist violence, terrorism and incidents of incursions and intrusions along the international borders with China and Pakistan are pointers to a greater concern.  The internal security situation had never been so grave and it has got further compounded by a new low in our relations with neighbouring countries.

The Congress led UPA II is completing its tenure placing at high risks our internal and external security.  Our national stature and prestige is badly eroded.  Our fishermen are being captured and killed in southern seas, our soldiers are beheaded and mutilated on our Northern borders, our boundaries are violated at will umpteen times on Indo-China borders. The latest being, the incursion by Chinese troops almost 19 kms inside Indian Territory and holding its position for nearly a month. India is being dishonoured, trivialised and its legitimate authority questioned.  Our government at the centre, at best is only offering platitudes to its citizens.

Threat to Internal Security

The Bharatiya Janata Party condemns the barbaric attack carried out by naxals on the convoy of Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh on May 25, 2013 about a couple of years after the brutal killing of 76 CRPF personnel in Dantewada. With this recent attack, the Maoists have declared war against the Nation.  This is a direct assault on democracy.  Maoists believe in bullet and not ballot, and want to throw out democratic government through barrel of gun. Let us be clear that the fight of the Maoists is not actually about development or rights of the tribals, it is merely sheaths that cloak their real and unequivocal agenda, capturing power through violence and not democratic participation and means.

The latest attack also exposes the new aggressive strategy of Maoist, which is ambushing the security forces, targeting the political leadership, carrying out abductions of government officials, threatening local elected representatives and extorting the public. Their brutality was on display when they put placard around the neck of the abducted officer stating that he was a "prisoner of war".

The nation is facing the biggest challenge to its internal security from the Maoists.  The Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh, at an earlier occasion, described Left wing extremism as “the biggest threat to India”.  But, there is not matching action from the government.

The incongruity in the Congress’ policy of dealing with naxalism on the one hand whilst on the other, particularly during elections, doing deals with them, comes to the surface periodically.  Such reports have emerged from Andhra Pradesh and from Chhattisgarh.

Post the Bastar attack on May 25, 2013, the Congress indulged in blame game by targeting the State Government.  However, the preliminary reports emanating from the National Investigative Agency (NIA) have pointed finger of suspicion on a few congressmen as having maintained links with the Maoists even as being a part of the targeted convoy.  The Congress owes an explanation on this.

Since coming to power at the Centre in 2004 and prior to the Dantewada massacre, the Congress party and the central government, have been lecturing to the states about dealing with the Naxals/Maoists.  In 2005, the Prime Minister Shri Mamohan Singh while expressing his concern over the spread of the Left wing extremism referred to the “virtual collapse” of law and order in some parts of the country.

In 2005, there were 156 districts in 13 states affected in varying degree.  Media reports say the Maoists have spread to 182 districts in 15 states.  The Planning Commission of India has gone further and claimed that left wing extremism prevails in 233 districts in 20 states.

There are also disturbing reports about arms and ammunitions of Pakistani and Chinese marking reaching the hands of naxals and growing Maoists links with LTTE and NE insurgent groups.  Any links, however tenuous, between the Maoists and the terrorists can pose a serious threat to India.

The Maoists expressing support to the separatists of Jammu and Kashmir, their alleged links with the insurgents of north east are now forming a cleft stretching north from Andhra-Karnataka border.  One arm extends through the well-recognised red corridor via Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa to the North-East.  The other arm with suspected links with sleeper cells in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand reach up to Jammu and Kashmir.

The nation’s resolve to fight Maoists is being compromised by the Congress at the altar of short term political considerations.

After the Dantewada incident in which 78 security personnel were massacred by the Maoists, the then Home Minister declared the policy of “Clear, Hold and Develop” the naxal affected areas.  Soon Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi and her senior party functionaries including a General Secretary wrote articles essentially sympathising with the naxal cause in various publications.  It resulted in stalling the proposal and demoralising the security forces.  After sometime the same Home Minister started giving excuse that he has a “limited mandate”.

The Congress’ hypocrisy and double-speak in this matter was further exposed when the NAC hand-picked several over ground supporters of the underground Maoists as its members. In the name of Human Rights activism, they were engaged in policy making for the government and some even were made advisors to the Planning Commission.

Till date, post May 2013, not a word has been heard from these activists.  Oblivious of all this, visiting Raipur after the dreadful attack, the Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi, making a spectacle of her uncontrolled anger asked for responsibility to be fixed!

The BJP has consistently taken a nationalist stand blending the aspirations of the people of the affected areas, particularly of the tribals.  It was the BJP, during the NDA rule under the leadership of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, formed a separate ministry of Tribal Affairs with a mandate to work for a holistic development of the tribal areas and its people.  In the past nine years under Dr Raman Singh, the BJP led government in Chhattisgarh has undertaken various developmental projects and enacted the comprehensive Food Security Act, which is being implemented through an efficiently run PDS.

Maoism is not a one-State issue.  It is a national issue and must be dealt with a multi-pronged approach where safety and development should go hand in hand.

The BJP believes that Maoist have thrown a challenge to the idea of India and must be dealt with by united efforts of all concerned.

BJP demands that there has to be a unified strategy to deal with the naxal menace with constant consultation and cooperation of the Centre with the naxal affected states.  There has to be appropriate strengthening of security apparatus, creation of Special Forces like ‘Grey Hound’ and a concerted and time bound action plan in place. The intelligence apparatus and acquiring sophisticated equipments. BJP underlines the importance of constant monitoring of all these steps. BJP will support such a comprehensive plane to combat Maoist menace. The BJP demands that the Centre government should take immediate step to stop the flow of fund to the Naxals.

Invoking Secularism to communalise discourse on Terror

Home Minister Shri Sushil Kumar Shinde has sought information about how many Muslims are languishing in jails on terror charges.  The Assembly in Kerala unanimously has resolved in favour of the Coimbatore bomb blast accused Abdul Nasser Madani.  The blast killed 60 people while it targeted Shri L K Advani.

The people of India have not forgotten Shri Salman Khurshid’s electoral gimmick when he claimed that Smt Sonia Gandhi wept on hearing the death of terrorists in Batla House encounter.  Similarly, Shri Digvijay Singh’s visit to the homes of the terror suspects in Azamgarh and questioning the sacrifice of martyr Police Inspector Late Mohan Chand Sharma were desperate attempts to communalise the entire narrative on terrorism.

This agenda is in the name of secularism.  While for some perpetrating terror may be driven by religious fervour, our fight against terrorism is not a fight against any religion.  The former home minister Shri Chidambaram and the present home minister Shri Shinde might try to communalise terrorism by cooking up terms such as “Hindu terror” and ‘saffron terror’. These are a part of the Congress’ vote bank and appeasement policy.

The BJP condemns these attempts to communalise terrorism.  It is in the national interest to treat terror as terror and must be dealt with full resolve.

Barbarism perpetrated by Pakistan

The treatment offered to Sarabjit Singh, an Indian national in the Pakistani prison stood in sharp contrast to the way in which an elderly Pakistani prisoner Dr Chisthi was released from an Indian gaol.  Even if quid pro quo is too much to expect, a fair treatment of captured soldiers is expected under the Geneva Convention.  Sarabjit Singh is not a first case. Earlier Chamail Singh was also killed brutally in Kot Lakhpat jail in Pakistan.

Dismembered bodies of captured Indian soldiers being returned to their families was adding insult to injury.  India remains with a sense of outrage that Pakistan lives in complete denial about these facts even today.  The Indian government has remained inactive largely throughout these crises and spoke only at times.  When it did speak, it spoke as though it was completely helpless.  This has made the people angry with frustration.

Pakistan may have lost the list of the 1971 PoWs still languishing in Pakistani jails, may allow Hafeez Sayeed and the Indian fugitive Dawood Ibrahim all comfort and freedom, but does not want that India should demand its legitimate rights.

Repeated violations of cease-fire continue at the border.  Fidayeen attacks in Jammu and Kashmir are increasing by the day.  The twin bomb blasts in Hyderabad in February followed by an attack on the CRPF camp in Bemina area of Srinagar in March this year clearly show government’s claim of a returning normalcy as hollow.  There are new revelations in the courts in Pakistan about the existence of huge quantum of secret funds ready to be spent for pursuing the ‘unfinished agenda’ in Kashmir.

The government’s approach has been completely laid back.  In fact, even as the irony of barbarism in 21st century could not settle down, our external affairs minister was hosting his Pakistani counterpart who was on a private visit to India to a lavish dinner. In 2009, the uncalled for statement issued at Sharm-el-Sheikh, has in one stroke mitigated the good work done by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. During the NDA, in January 2004, Shri Vajpayee had ensured a written commitment from Islamabad that no Pakistani territory will be allowed to be used for terrorism against India.

Congress-led UPA Government has failed to get justice for the Mumbai attack.  The handlers are scot free in Pakistan. Headley is not questioned in India by our investigators.  Yet this government is ever ready for composite dialogue with Pakistan.

With a newly elected government in Pakistan there is reason for cautious optimism for bettering ties, without losing our national self-respect.

Italian Marines Mock our Justice System

Two poor Indian fishermen while fishing were killed by Italian naval marines.  When caught and made to face trial in our courts, they went home to celebrate Christmas and then to participate in the elections.  They tried to negotiate to stay back by-passing a trial by an Indian court. The Indian government has not explained if they have agreed to any pre-set terms for their return to face the trial.  While the permission to go home was given by the court, questions are raised as to how the Indian government could have an understanding, if any, with the accused.

Indian Foreign Policy on a Drift

Due to a lack of political direction, the Indian foreign policy is on a drift.  It is unable to effectively meet the challenges faced by the country.  The relations with the SAARC countries had never been as low as it is now.  The goodwill that we had in Maldives is all but lost.  Nepal may have not drafted a Constitution yet for itself, but it seems to want nothing from India.  Sri Lanka has not fulfilled its promise of devolution of power as yet.

There were more than 400 incursions by China into our territory.  The recent incursion in the Daulat Beg Oldie sector in Ladakh was brazen.  Dams on the Brahmaputra, building roads and communication towers in areas in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), extraordinary claims in South China Sea affecting Indian commercial operations in Vietnam are but a few threats from China not adequately addressed by our External Affairs Ministry.

This government has also failed miserably in enhancing India's maritime and energy security. The importance of securing the Indian Ocean Region so that it becomes part of our Region of Influence needs to be urgently recognised. The BJP is committed to developing deeper relations with countries in the IOR so that growing Chinese influence can be countered. We are determined to carry forward Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Look  East vision which the UPA has abandoned.

The UPA government has also failed in resolving the issuance of stapled visa to Indian Citizens by the Chinese government and in solving the difficulties face by the people of Arunachal due to the obduracy of the Bejing regime.

The BJP led NDA government was led by the visionary leadership of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.  We enjoyed the confidence and cordiality of all our neighbours.  International relations improved in leaps and bounds.  National dignity and sovereignty were held high.

The BJP is committed to preserve this national dignity.  The BJP will not permit any compromise of India’s security or strategic interests.  If any such situation may arise, it shall act as may be warranted in the national interest.

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