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Thakre calls on cadre to nip in bud Opposition's 'disruptive tactics'

The Bharatiya Janata Party national executive today called upon its cadre to ''nip in the bud'' attempts by the Congress and other Opposition parties to ''foment communal passions, create fresh discord and reopen old wounds.''

In his opening remarks to the three-day national executive meeting, which began in Jaipur, BJP president Kushabhau Thakre said communal peace and order must be maintained at all costs to defeat the nefarious design of the Opposition, which could be achieved by educating the people about ''the campaign of the pseudo-secularists.''

This is Thakre's first executive meeting as president. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Home Minister L K Advani are among the 148 delegates attending the conference.

While advising the cadre to be ''constantly alert and guard against the machinations of disruptionist forces,'' the BJP president said the past few weeks had seen the rapid convergence of anti-BJP political parties under the banner of secular forces. ''Impatient for power and scornful towards the peoples' verdict, these parties are trying to forget yet another unholy alliance -- the only thing to forget yet another unholy alliance -- the only thing that binds them together is political opportunism of the worst kind. The left as usual, is shamelessly eager to fish in troubled waters.''

He described as ''strange'' the effort by CPI-M and Congress trying to get a natural ally in one another and join hands with some of the ''most venal politicians'' to grab power at the Centre.

The party, however, should work towards the upcoming assembly elections in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Rajasthan with an objective to improve its strength in Rajasthan and Delhi where it is in power and wrest power from the Congress in Madhya Pradesh.

Referring to the developments between May and August, Thakre said the Vajpayee government had passed the litmus test of managing the ''imponderables of coalition politics.''

A decisive step had been taken in the form of the five nuclear Tests and the government ''steered the country away from the anticipated fallout of economic sanctions,'' Thakre said.

Besides presenting a ''pro-people budget rooted in swadeshi, new schemes and policies were adopted to benefit the poor and the declining trend of public investment in the social sector had been reversed", he said.

The BJP chief observed that the government had taken ''significant'' steps in the North-Eastern states by strengthening the North-Eastern Council and a new pattern of funding and development activity in the region had been evolved.

While noting escalation in terrorists activities in Assam, he said, ''On the whole there has been improvement in the region.''

The BJP president said the government had to work within the compulsions of coalition politics and with a ''wafer thin'' majority in Parliament.

But it did not mean that the shortcomings of this government should be overlooked, he said, and referred to the rising price index. The current price rise was partly due to both the policies of the previous governments and nature's vagaries. Hoarders and blackmarketeers had been exploiting the situation to create artificial crisis.

Thakre said the government, however, ''could not be absolved of its responsibility to guard the price line'' and asked the Centre to take immediate measures to ''ease mounting pressure'' on the common man in this front.

To achieve this, the party's Yuva Morcha and Mahila Morcha could play an effective role to help the government, he added.

The BJP president equated the spurt in insurgent activities in Jammu and Kashmir to the period of militancy in Punjab ''where in the months preceding the demise of terrorism, the terrorists struck again and again in blind and desperate fury, picking on soft targets.''

However, the situation in the border state was improving and with the people having begun to ''turn against the terrorists,'' and the government would be in a position to curb the menace, Thakre added.

He had no doubts that the Vajpayee government had the ''requisite political will and determination'' to combat terrorism -- be it in Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Kerala or the North-East.

The BJP president expressed ''concern'' at some of the issues raised by allies and stressed the need of the ''spirit of accommodation'' among the coalition partners.

He said they had agreed to work together on the basis of the national agenda for government. Each partner was equally responsible for this government's failures as also its successes.

Thakre urged all the allies to sink their differences and not to air their perceived grievances in public and make the coordination committee an effective mechanism for the larger goal.

''This coalition must succeed -- not merely because we are leading the coalition, but because what is at stake is national interest. Let all of us not lose sight of the need for mutual understanding and mutual adjustment. The nation's and not an individual's interest should be our guiding spirit,'' he added.

While emphasising better coordination between the party and the government, Thakre emphasised the need to bridge the gap between the people and the government. He said the committee, set up for this purpose at Gandhinagar, had submitted its report.

He reiterated the BJP-led government's resolve to empowering women and the weaker sections. It wanted to introduce the Women's Reservation Bill providing for 33 per cent reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, but the opposition did not allow it.

''To divide women along caste and communal lines would be against their interests as well as society's interest'' and the country could ill-afford another caste conflagration or another communal division, he said.

Thakre welcomed the prime minister's Independence Day announcement of several initiatives for the welfare of women like free text-books to girls and introduction of a low premium insurance policy for women and the girl child.

He also appreciated the government's initiatives on the rural front, especially the crop insurance scheme to protect farmers' interests.

He urged the government to hasten the process of their economic and social upliftment and said, ''Let this be one of the primary tasks ahead.''

UNI

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