The BJP on Saturday demonstrated impressive strength and unity at a meeting called to galvanise party workers for possible mid-term Assembly elections. Partymen were cautioned against underestimating regional parties like Babulal Marandi’s JVM and Shibu Soren’s JMM.
Braving scorching temperatures of 44.3 degree Celsius, over 1,000 BJP workers cheered senior party leaders at Shivajee Maidan.
Former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, Saryu Roy, State BJP president Ravindra Rai and his predecessor Dineshananda Goswami were all present in response to party national president Rajnath Singh’s diktat to sink personal differences and strengthen the party. Palamau was probably chosen because of its weak footprint here.
Munda spoke first emphasising how development had come to a standstill under President’s Rule, imposed since January 19 following JMM’s withdrawal of support from the ruling coalition.
For instance, the former Chief Minister said, the Hatia Grid has not been linked to Palamau though he had approved the plan long ago. “No work has been initiated on this project during the last 100 days,” he maintained. Munda added that schemes like Dal-Bhat Yojana, offering the poor a full meal for Rs 5, had been dumped by the Centre’s emissaries.
Munda also attacked regional parties, saying that they “hijack issues and bring instability to the State. They want their own houses to be in order; no matter if the entire village gets burnt”. The former Chief Minister asserted that the BJP would never resort to such a brand of politics.
Amid huge cheers, Munda declared, “(Narendra) Modi lao, desh bachao”. He also criticised the Centre for serious problems of price rise, pointing out that the UPA Government was unable to deal with threats to internal and external security.
Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha too flayed one and all in UPA II, pointing out how the CBI danced to the tunes of the UPA Government in showing affidavits to the Union law Minister and PMO. He raised issues of the coal and 2G spectrum scams, the Chinese incursion into India’s territory and Pakistan’s continuing misdemeanours.
Sinha demanded the arrest of Railway Minister Pawan K Bansal, whose nephew has been arrested by the CBI on charges of corruption. He also made it clear that the BJP would contest on all seats in Jharkhand.
Flaying President’s Rule, senior party leader Saryu Roy quipped, “There is Syed Ahmed ruling as Governor here. Then Ahmad Patel, political advisor to Sonia Gandhi, and Shakil Ahmad, Congress’ Jharkhand in-charge, are calling the shots in the State. They have sunk Jharkhand.”
Former State BJP president Dineshananda Goswami also noted that law & order in Ranchi had touched its lowest ebb, citing how a day before, a lady Deputy Superintendent of Police had to bear the brunt of teasing by youths.
Other senior leaders who attended the rally include PN Singh, Rajinder Singh, Deepak Prakash, former DGP VD Ram, Balmukund Sahay, Suryamani Singh, Shyam Narain Dubey and others.