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Vajpayee takes a dig at critics

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said the Bharatiya Janata Party could remove most of the misgivings that persisted among its opponents and a section of the society by coming to power. ''By our deeds we are going to remove the remaining misgivings,'' he said.

Addressing party workers at the BJP's 18th foundation day celebrations, the prime minister took a dig at his opponents for ''prophesing that his coalition government will not last long. Those who think that the coalition will not last long are living under an illusion.''

In this context, Vajpayee said his government had ''dynamic stability and was not a static one'' and there will be no place for untouchability in politics while differences in ideology may persist.

Referring to the critics of the national agenda, he said, ''Ours is not a minimum programme but a programme with maximum understanding.'' He wanted party workers to be alert and help in the government's endeavour to fulfil the promises made in the agenda.

Vajpayee dealt at length on how the erstwhile Jan Sangh had to be abandoned to pave way for the BJP's formation and the struggle scores of party workers had to go through to achieve their goal -- to form the government at the Centre.

Referring to the Emergency, he said many who had shared the jail cells with the party leaders were now sharing power with the BJP. However, he regretted that there were still some ''who had not learnt any lessons from the past experiences'.

He recalled how the Congress got worried when, during the Emergency, the Hindus and Muslims came together and lived in harmony in jails.

Earlier, party president and Union Home Minister Lal Kishinchand Advani said, ''Entering its 18th year, the party has matured. With maturity, a heavy responsibility had been thrust on its shoulders, with the BJP coming to power at the Centre.''

Referring to the split of the erstwhile Janata Party thrice within a span of three years, Advani said the second split came about when they expelled the Jan Sangh members.

''In retrospect I thank them profusely for expelling us from the Janata Party. Otherwise our fate would have been different,'' he said.

UNI

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