Training his guns on ‘lawlessness’ in Uttar Pradesh, BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday accused the Akhilesh Government of failing to take preemptive actions to ward off “unfortunate violence” and asked party cadre to “work hard” to gain “full majority” in the State going to polls early next year.
Delivering his presidential address at the opening session of the two-day National Executive here, the BJP president highlighted policy initiatives of the Modi-Government in the last two years, saying it has set the pace of development” and new standards of democratic accountability.
Ahead of the formal opening of the National Executive, office-bearers met in the morning to work out the agenda for the ‘next three months’ for the party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present. Party veteran lK Advani attended the meeting with the former seated on the dais along with Shah and Modi. lauding the achievements of the Modi dispensation, Shah said, “A corruption-free Government and a decisive leadership of the Prime Minister were gains of the last two years.”
Politically, he said, a happy beginning has been made this year with a clear win in Assam “that has opened a gateway to the North-East” for the BJP.
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad briefed the Press here on the main points made by the party chief during his address to the meet.
Prasad skirted all questions as who would be the face of the party in UP polls saying “National Executive does not decide the issue”.
Asserting that the BJP will return to power in 2019 with “Bigger numbers”, Shah maintained that his party has come back to power at the Centre, “not because of the weakening of the Congress” but due to the hard work of its workers and that it has to travel still far in future.
Shah pointed to “the policy paralysis” under a weak Prime Minister during 10 years of the UPA dispensation and claimed that all that have changed since Modi took charge at the Centre.
He said while Congress-led Governments were in dilemma as to which path of development to tread, the Modi-Government struck “a balance between rural and urban development”.
“The Modi Government bridged the gap between urban and rural development and proved that reform and public welfare could go together with no disconnect, allowing no disconnect between the two,” he said.
Drawing attention to the incidents of violence in UP, Shah said there was lack of development and peace in the State adding that timely action by the State Government could have saved the unfortunate situation.
Prasad quoted Shah on Modi’s “foreign policy successes” and conferment of the highest civilian awards on Modi by two Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. “This has happened for the first time”, the BJP chief said.
Asked whether the BJP was trying to ignite communal polarisation at Kairna in West UP from where nearly 100 families have fled following violence, Prasad said “We do not spread communal passions, it is the case of failure of the State Government ...why blame us …if the UP Government denies the incident that shows the mindset”.
“Our core agenda in UP is adequate development of the State,” he said.