The BJP on Saturday joined the competitive politics of wooing aam aadmi with its promise to pursue an economic policy inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Swadeshi and party founder Deen Dayal Upadhayay’s idea of Antyodaya that will give the poor and the underprivileged in far-flung areas the first right on country’s resources.
Preparing for a make or break national election this year, the BJP on Saturday tried to break free from its image of being a party of the urban middle class and promised a more inclusive economic vision, which could make people from North-East and those living in forests taste the ‘fruit of development’. In doing so, the party appeared careful about not appearing like taking the ‘left’ turn and promised radical reforms in the tax regime that brings ‘great relief’ to the income tax paying middle class.
“Congress’ first family has only taken Mahatma’s surname, we will implement his ideas. Our economic policy will draw inspiration from Deen Dayal Upadhayay, who also worked to uplift the status of the last man of the society. If someone has the first right on country’s resources, it should be poor,” BJP chief Rajnath Singh said at the inaugural session of the party’s national council meeting here on Saturday.
leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley added that the ‘first right’ on country’s resources could not be decided on the basis of religion. “Poor must have the first right. People living in far flung areas of North-East and the tribals living in forests should see the light of development. They should have first right on country’s resources,” Jaitley argued.
Jaitley also took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the marketing skills of the BJP was such that it could sell comb to a bald man. “Here we have an old party which would ask for a commission if someone sells comb to a bald man or makes him believe to have a haircut,” Jaitley quipped. The BJP president, for his part, attempted to show the ‘mirror’ to a ‘communal’ Congress, which targeted BJP’s ideology and its prime ministerial candidate Narenda Modi at the AICC session here on Friday.
Rajnath Singh pointed out it was UPA’s Prime Minister who said Muslims should have first right on country’s resources and it was the UPA Government which coined the ‘Hindu terror’ phrase. The BJP chief also flaunted the humble background of party’s PM candidate and that of himself to suggest it was only possible in a democratic party like the
BJP that a tea-seller (Modi) could aspire for prime minister’s post and son of an agriculturist (Rajnath) occupy top party post. The party also appeared to be mellowing down its stand on the controversial Article 370, which provides special status to J&K, saying it was ready to reconsider its position if this provision would help the State.
BJP’s long standing demand for abrogation of Article 370 has been seen as an irritant in its relationship with many ‘secular’ parties which bank on the support of the minority community. BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Saturday asked the party rank and file to concentrate on running a grounded election campaign focussing on booths and households as he said polls are not won through rallies and TV debates. Striking a note of sarcasm, the Gujarat Chief Minister said, “We cannot beat Congress in their way of running a campaign.
We do not have the ability to spend such money, misuse state machinery or resort to any dirty tricks. The power we have is the power of organisation.” Speaking at the BJP meet, Rajnath Singh claimed the Congress was rattled after the defeat in Assembly polls and they were raking up the issue of communalism to cover up for their misdeeds. Singh hit out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his “Modi as PM would be disastrous for country” remarks and wondered how a man holding a constitutional post could make such baseless and undignified statements.
“Does the PM feel that India was in a good state under his leadershipIJ” He cited the clean chit to the Modi Government by the Supreme Court-appointed SIT and the judiciary to take the steam out of Congress claim. Disheartened Congress is, Singh said, resorting to all means to target Modi.
Senior BJP leaders took turns to deride Congress’ policies on all fronts and even did not mince words to attack the new entrant AAP, which has left a bad taste in their mouth in the Delhi Assembly election. The Opposition party also took a jibe at Rahul for patting his back for the passage of the lokpal Bill and claimed if any single person has to be credited it should be social activist Anna Hazare.
Singh cautioned if the Congress succeeded in its strategy to install a weak Government then it would create instability and “give birth to leaders who would be neck deep in corruption”; or the one who would ruin and tear the whole social fabric; or for that matter, give rise to a leadership which would make dangerous compromises with the national security.
“It may even give birth to the one, who in an image-building bid or immaturity, would try to change democracy into mobocracy. We will have to remember very cautiously and consciously that it is not enough to dethrone those who are deeply involved in the sharing of the loot but it is equally important to disapprove conglomeration of people without any ideological footing to run the government,” Singh said.
The BJP president also attacked Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar for his remarks on Narendra Modi that he was welcome to sell tea at an AICC meet as he would never become the PM, saying it reflected on the feudal mindset governing Congress.