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BJP leaders declare Nagpur session a success

Tara Shankar Sahay in Nagpur

The Bharatiya Janata Party national executive and council meets ended on Monday in Nagpur with senior party leaders coming out in defence of critics, who had pilloried the Centre's policies.

"Where is the harm in party leaders raising questions which will eventually help solve matters of national importance," said BJP vice-president K Jana Krishnamurthy, referring to critical questions being raised during the session. He pointed out that the party welcomed constructive questions on crucial issues.

However, Krishnamurthy was one of the party leaders who on Sunday enthusiastically supported newly-appointed party chief Bangaru Laxman's warning to 'errant' members that indiscipline in the BJP would be stamped out with a heavy hand.

"Our party members know that the leadership wants to give them opportunities for airing their views in a constructive manner. But such opportunities must not be used for settling personal scores," Krishnamurthy emphasised.

Party spokesman M Venkaiah Naidu echoed similar sentiments and said, "The press was making its own interpretations of the closed-door national executive meeting in which BJP members made their points of view known." He pointed out that too much need not be read into certain matters "for the sake of creating sensationalism." However, he underlined that he was not there when senior party member Sushma Swaraj "made certain observations pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir."

Swaraj is reported to have launched a scathing attack on the government, notably Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani (which was widely reported in the media) following which she was upbraided by a few party officials "for speaking out of turn." But asked to explain today why she had "grabbed the limelight in the media," Swaraj merely smiled.

The unanimous adoption of the party's economic and political resolution appears to have 'dissipated' the reported tension among the BJP leadership following discontentment over the government's handling of the Jammu and Kashmir situation and the government's economic policies, especially those pertaining to disinvestment.

"Yes, the Nagpur session has sailed through smoothly and consolidated the presitige of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee whose leadership has been acknowledged both nationally and internationally," said a prominent Union minister and senior BJP leader, who did not want to be identified. "I think the overwhelming success of this session has made the leadership adopt the stance of letting bygones be bygones. So we are not raking up disciplinary matters now," he pointed out.

The convenor of BJP's economic cell, Dr Jagdish Shettigar, also indicated that there was little harm in party members raising questions relating to swadeshi and other policies. He pointed out that every party member is expected to support the government's or the party's economic policies. He, however, emphasised that during discussions and debates on policy matters including economic policies, "members express their perceptions which can be different." He said it was up to the government to implement the policies and differing views of party members cannot be perceived to be rebellious.

Shettigar also pointed out that swadeshi means "protecting national interests" and it had to be according to the prevailing socio-economic situation.

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