The BJP formally launched its mega and electrifying campaign in Uttar Pradesh from Gorakhpur on February 15 for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The Rashtra Raksha Vijay Sankalp Rally was organised by Yogi Adityanath, sitting MP from Gorakhpur Sadar seat and heir of Baba Gorakshanath Peeth. The rally, which was attended by a massive gathering at Rana Pratap College in Gorakhpur, showcased the growing popularity of BJP in Uttar Pradesh. BJP'sprime ministerial candidate Shri LK Advani, party president Shri Rajnath Singh, party general secretary Shri Arun Jaitley along with a host of central and state leaders participated in the rally after having a darshan at Gorakhnath temple.
Addressing the rally, Shri Advani said that the NDA government led by Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee performed much better than the present UPA government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh. He also said that the five-year rule of the UPA government at the centre would be remembered for so many wrong things. ?This is Sonia Gandhi'sraj. Dr Manmohan Singh cannot take any decision on his own,? he added.
Shri Advani appealed to the voters to get a feedback from the BJP-ruled states. He specifically urged Muslims to get reports about the work of the Gujarat government. He blamed the Opposition for casting aspersions on Shri Narendra Modi'simage by undertaking a vicious campaign against him. ?It is in Gujarat, where the per capita income of Muslims is the highest,? he said.
Stating that he had seen so many prime ministers from Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru to Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, but this post has never been degraded so much as it has been now. What would be the fate of the country if the same man again becomes the Prime Minister after the forthcoming Lok Sabha election? he asked. Shri Advani stated that if Bharatiya Janata Party wins, India wins.
Shri Advani promised, ?If NDA forms the government at the centre, it would provide har hath ko kam (work for every hand) and har khet ko pani (water for every field). The future government of NDA would also provide a nationwide free internet-based education and would also check the migration of villagers to the urban areas by creating employment opportunities at their doorsteps.? He expressed serious concern over the incidents of growing terrorism in the country and the complete failure of the UPA government to deal with the situation with an iron hand.
Talking about Ram temple at Ayodhya, Shri Advani asserted that the party remained resolved to build the Ram temple at Ramjanma-bhoomi in Ayodhya. ?The party has not forgotten its resolve to reconstruct the Ram temple in Ayodhya. It was the mandir issue that finally took BJP to power at the centre and several states and changed the course of Indian politics,? he added.
Shri Advani further said if the BJP came to power, the party would get rid of two things?jehadi terrorism and rampant corruption. Turning his gun on Pakistan, he said Islamabad would have to probe the role of the ISI in the Mumbai attack. ?The Pakistan government recently claimed a few arrests, which have been made in connection with the Mumbai terror attack case. But the basic question is whether the role of the ISI has been probed in this attack. Unless the ISI'srole is put under the scanner, this probe has no meaning,? Shri Advani said. He alleged that the Pakistani government had so far not even investigated the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and was also silent on the ISI'srole. ?The government of India should not take the words of the Pakistani administration at face value. How can India value the so-called probe carried out there??
The UPA'sMuslim appeasement policy also came under fire. Shri Advani said that he was disgusted with the UPA government for not hanging Afzal Guru, convicted in the Parliament attack case. ?The day we come to power at the centre, we will not wait for a day to execute Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Till date Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has not given any reason for the delay in the execution of Afzal when even the Supreme Court has upheld the capital punishment awarded to him,? he said.
Speaking at the rally, the party president Shri Rajnath Singh laid emphasis on the reconstruction of Ram temple and uplift of farmers. He promised that his party would make all possible efforts to reconstruct the Ram temple at Ramjanmabhoomi in Ayodhya. He said that if NDA came to power, all loans of farmers would be waived and the fresh bank loans would be given to them at an interest rate of four per cent only. Farmers are entitled to get subsidy at par with businessmen, Shri Singh opined. The BJP president highlighted the achievements of the NDA government. He said that despite the worldwide pressure, the NDA government under the dynamic leadership of Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee conducted the successful nuclear implosions and became the sixth nuclear power in the world. The prices of essential commodities were also under control, though America had imposed economic sanction on us, Shri Singh added.
Party general secretary Shri Arun Jaitley described Shri Advani as the most suitable candidate for the PM'spost because he has unmatched confidence and the capacity to take decisions. He alleged that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is the most indecisive person. The NDA government had put the economy on the track of rapid growth. But now under the UPA government, every thing is in a shambles. Stating that the people of the country want a change of government at the centre, Shri Jaitley hoped that the BJP would win the maximum number of Parliament seats from Uttar Pradesh.
