The BJP held a huge rally in the capital. The turn-out was so large that it surpassed the expectations of the organisers. Buoyed by the presence of about a lakh of supporters in the protest rally, the BJP challenged the policies of UPA government amid slogans of rashtrawad mein khot dikhe, aatanki mein vote dikhe. Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said this government should change its pro-terrorist, appeasement policies or else the people of India would be compelled to change it.
?The country is not safe in the hands of this weak and confused government. The people of the country want a change,? Shri Vajpayee said addressing the workers at Parliament Street while participating in the “Rashtriya Suraksha Sankalp March” to gherao Parliament on the first day of the Winter Session.
Addressing the gathering, BJP President Rajnath Singh, who led the march from Birla Mandir, voiced disappointment over the delay in Afzal'sexecution as ordered by the Supreme Court. ?We have seen increasing terrorist strikes in various parts of the country. But the government is doing nothing. This government is weakening the country,? he said. Jaswant Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vijay Goel and Harshvardhan also addressed the rally. Later a resolution condemning the government's?silence? on Afzal'shanging was also passed.
Charged by the large presence of BJP supporters, Shri Vajpayee said BJP'srally will introduce a new chapter in Indian politics. ?By organising the people of the country under a single umbrella and by making drastic changes in the present intolerable situation, BJP will provide relief to the nation from the pain and sorrow inflicted continuously by the UPA government,? he added, sitting in the midst of stalwarts like former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Party President Rajnath Singh, Jaswant Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj and Delhi BJP President Harshvardhan.
In an apparent reference to the resumption of dialogue with Pakistan, Shri Vajpayee maintained that talks at this juncture were futile. ?They (terrorists) are challenging us, but the government is finding ways to talk. We are not against talks, but what is its use? The government is not sure about its own moves,? the former Prime Minister said also referring to the recent Mumbai blasts in his speech.
Workers from many states including Delhi, besides 166 MPs and people'srepresentatives marched towards Parliament passing through all the entry points of Delhi, Rajghat and from Birla Mandir to Jantar Mantar to court arrest. Given their large numbers, the BJP protestors were declared arrested on Parliament Street itself.
A senior Delhi Police official declared from the dais that there was no room to keep such a large number of arrested workers and MPs in jails, hence all are freed from this point, marking an end to the massive rally with the crowd busting into a laughter.
Earlier, Shri Advani claimed that Delhi had never seen such a massive demonstration, a clear indication of the frustration among the people of the country with the present government.
?The attack on Parliament by the five Pakistani terrorists was a war against India. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi are mum on the issue of hanging Afzal. This is fraud on the country,? he said at the backdrop of placards like ?Vande Mataram se sharmate – atanki ko gale lagate?, ?Congress Afzal ki gale milayee – atanki-Congress bhai-bhai?, ?Congress ka bandobast – atanki ghuspethi mast?.
