“PT Deendayalji always thought for the welfare of economically deprived people, villagers, farmers and labourers. He wanted the policies in the country that ensure betterment of these people. If the country had followed this vision and thinking of Deendayalji, there will not have been the economic imbalance that we see today,” said BJP president Shri Nitin Gadkari. He was releasing a book on Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya in New Delhi on February 11. The book was edited by Dr Mahesh Chandra Sharma.
Published under the Deendayal Samagra, a project started by the BJP recently, the book highlights the contribution and vision of Deendayalji in journalism. Apart from a galaxy of senior BJP leaders, intellectuals, writers and scholars, former Governor Shri Kidarnath Sahni, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, former Chief Minister of Rajasthan Smt Vasundhara Raje, Delhi BJP president Shri Vijendra Gupta and national convener of Deendayal Samagra Dr Mahesh Chandra Sharma were also present on the occasion.
Lauding the work done by Dr Mahesh Chandra Sharma on Deendayal Upadhyaya, Shri Gadkari appealed to the party workers to start more service activities to uplift the deprived people of the society. “The thinking and vision of Deendayalji lead us to the right path. This should reach to each and individual of the country. Only working to get party ticket in elections will not work, we have to work for the society,” he added.
Mentioning his recent China visit Shri Gadkari said while the communists in China are keen to speak to BJP leaders, their Indian counterparts refuse to have any truck with his party. “I do not want to comment on any ideologies…Communism had fallen in its own backyard. It (communism) has changed in Beijing. But in Kolkata, it has not changed. Maybe because of political reasons,” he said. Pitching for a generational change to clean the “polluted field” of politics, Shri Gadkari expressed disagreement with the adage “old is gold”, saying that the youth also have potential. “The most polluted field is that of politics and for this, not individuals but political parties are at fault,” he said. “An effort should be made to understand the mindset of the new generation. They also have potential. If they are not working properly, it is not their fault, it is ours,” he said. Citing several examples of failed Public Sector Undertakings, he said the Government’s job was to make policies, not to run businesses. “Government is buying Rs 70,000 crore aeroplanes when people are starving and farmers committing suicide” He also pointed out that the Nehruvian model of development, which was based on Russia, did not lay enough emphasis on agricultural development or irrigation and many other key areas and India is now witnessing the consequences of it. “The situation of India today is very different from what it was in 1947. There is a lot more competition and technology, both of which have benefited the consumers. Unfortunately irrigation remains on the State list and its planning is left to the States. This makes it difficult when several rivers like the Narmada flow through more than one State,” said the BJP president.
Earlier, introducing the book Dr Mahesh Chandra Sharma pointed out that the book consists of the columns written by Deendayalji in Organiser as ‘Political Diary’ and also in some other newspapers. “The book consists of not only the articles written by Deendayalji in various newspapers but also the articles written on him by different writers and veteran journalists. Deendayalji always favoured civilised language in media. He did not want to use derogatory words even for his opponents. He said the non-Congress politics should have positive spirit and untouchability should have no place in it,” Dr Sharma said. Former Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Prof. Jagdish Mukhi proposed a vote of thanks. (FOC)
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