“BE a self-start engine and don’t wait for somebody to give you orders and instructions. Start working for redressing the grievances of the people. Identify yourself with the masses, empathise with their agonies and aspirations, work in the field, contribute through your intellect, give new ideas and be articulate while presenting party’s view points. The character of political activism is undergoing changes. Let us try to be adept at this transformation. It is only by cultivating political activism through diverse ways that you can empower yourself. If you are empowered, party will automatically be empowered.” This is how BJP president Shri Nitin Gadkari exhorted the members of newly constituted National Executive at its first meeting in Patna on June 12.
Apart from exposing the UPA government over price rise, condemning it for repeated assaults on federal structure, patronising the culprits of Bhopal gas tragedy and calling for immediate curbing of Maoists menace, the National Executive termed the one year of UPA-II as the year of total disappointment, non-achievement, chaos, confusion, compromise, corruption, inconsistency and incoherence. It also praised the NDA government of Bihar for taking good developmental initiatives during the last five years and registered 11 per cent growth rate.
The gigantic hoardings, party flags and huge banners welcoming the delegates attracted the attention of one and all. There was unprecedented security at Chanakya Nagar, the venue of the meeting at Maurya Hotel. The Kautilya Banquet hall was renamed after former Vice President Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat who passed away recently. It was exactly five minutes past 11 am when the party president Shri Nitin Gadkari accompanied by senior party leaders Shri LK Advani, Smt Sushma Swaraj, Shri Rajnath Singh, Dr MM Joshi, Shri Venkaiah Naidu, Shri Arun Jaitely, Shri Ananth Kumar, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy and others entered the hall.
Before the formal inauguration, six priests from Darbhanga presented Ganesh Vandana and then the delegates stood up for Vandemataram. This was followed by lighting of the traditional lamp and formally inaugurating the meeting by Shri LK Advani, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Smt Sushma Swaraj and Shri Arun Jaitely.
Referring to Bihar’s march to progress and development Shri Gadkari said for the first time Bihar witnessed a government that is functioning and bringing the desired results. Previous rulers in Bihar had embarrassed the people with their insensitive and inefficient rule. Many in the world knew Bihar only as the initial alphabet of the acronym Bimaru Pradesh. But now under the NDA rule, Bihar has been converted into a jujharu state. “I congratulate the NDA leadership here for making every Bihari a proud citizen of the State that has witnessed a phenomenal 11 per cent growth rate,” he said.
Demanding an apology from Congress on Bhopal Gas tragedy he said revelations by a former CBI official BR Lall about how the then government at the Centre had tried to protect the Union Carbide management more particularly Warren Anderson, the fugitive CEO of the company; are horrific to say the least. “This episode has once again reminded the entire nation as to how Congress rulers from time to time, are compromising with the interest of the people of India for personal and political gains. Bhopal tragedy is the saga of treachery, back stabbing and betrayal. No words are powerful enough to condemn all those who mishandled this issue,” he said. Terming the CBI as Congress Bureau of Intimidation he said the CBI has become a tool of intimidation for the Congress. “We in the BJP strongly demand a JPC probe into the misuse of the CBI,” he said.
Extremely perturbed over the law and order situation in Manipur and the hardships the people of the State are facing due to economic blockade, Shri Gadkari declared that the BJP would observe June 23, the death anniversary of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, as ‘Manipur Solidarity Day’ and the party workers in all the capital cities would observe day long fast. “For the last over 70 days Manipur is facing road blockade and life has become a misery for our brethren there. We believe the Naga leader Thuingaleng Muivah played a dangerous game first by announcing his desire to visit his home village in Manipur and later by joining the blockade. It is highly deplorable that Naga groups are allowed to hold the entire State of Manipur to ransom and the Central government is just a spectator watching the hapless condition of the people of Manipur. While the genuine demands of Nagas certainly merit attention, politics of blockade has no place in a democratic polity,” he said. He further said that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Smt Sushma Swaraj would visit Manipur shortly and would brief the Prime Minister and the Party about the real situation there. Expressing complete solidarity with the people of Manipur he asked the Central government to show the same kind of sensitivity that it showed for the people of Kashmir Valley.
Smt Sushma Swaraj lambasted the UPA Government over its failure on containing price rise, infrastructure development, foreign policy, harnessing terrorism and some other issues. About the corruption in 2G spectrum allocation she said the exchequer suffered the loss of about Rs 60,000 crore in it and the CBI found this allegation to be substantially true. “The Prime Minister is unable to exert his authority and remove the Minister concerned. Ministerial lobbying for an IPL cricket franchise or for Chinese campaigns has now become acceptable behaviour of the UPA,” she said alleging that the UPA’s confidence has turned into arrogance.
In his concluding remarks Shri LK Advani said the party workers should be proud of the party’s achievements and mindful of the contributions it made in making the country a bipolar and strong nation. He reminded the workers that the BJP is not a party of individual but of several lakh workers.
Shri Alok Kumar, national convener of party’s workers training cell, presented a detailed action plan for imparting training to the party workers, while Shri Vamanacharya unfolded a plan for promoting Antyodaya activities. A group of BJP leaders under the leadership of former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and Rajya Sabha MP Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari studied the Chinese border in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Laddakh and presented its report. Former Governor, veteran party leader Shri Kailashpati Mishra was honoured by Shri Advani for his outstanding contribution in the expansion of the party in Bihar.
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