The National Executive of the Bharatiya janata party (BJP), which is holding its first meeting under new President Nitin Gadkari, opted to tread a known political path - agitate on the issues of terrorism, extremism (naxalism) and price rice in a bid to reach out to the masses. Significantly, the principal Opposition party, the BJP, chose to keep quiet over the ongoing agitations for separate Telangana and Vidarbha and also on the reconstitution of state reorganisation committee.
Gadkari, who incidentally hails from Vidarbha in Maharashtra, at the national executive meeting here refrained from making any mention on the contentious issue of formation of Vidarbha and Telengana but gave a call of country first, party second and myself third. Gadkari asked party members to have a large heart and refrain from tripping each other. Without any direct reference to recent incidents of groupism and indiscipline, Gadkari made an emotional appeal that everybody in the party should work for the party ideology and its future growth instead of simply a political career. He announced that everybody in the party be accountable and answerable for the betterment of the party.
Gadkari, who was chairing the meeting in the presence of BJP stalwarts LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, also expressed serious displeasure over the Centre’s policies to tackle terrorism and naxalite movement in various parts of the country. Gadkari also slammed the Centre on his decision to reinitiate talks with Pakistan, especially when the government there had not done anything substantial in restraining terrorists using its land against India.
Gadkari said the Centre’s decision to revive talks with Pakistan was taken under US pressure. He claimed that this would weaken India’s control over Jammu and Kashmir. He reiterated that terror and talks couldnot go together. The BJP president also expressed serious concerns over the close strategic, military and diplomatic alliance between Pakistan and China.
Gadkari asserted that national security was under challenge due to burgeoning terrorist activities and naxalite menace. He deplored the Pune blast, which killed 11 innocents, injuring over 55 persons and also the naxalite attack on a police camp killing 27 personnel in West Bengal.
Gadkari also came down heavily on Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh’s recent visit to Azamgarh and termed that certain leaders were making tourist destination of the land of terrorists.
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On price rise, Gadkari attacked the Centre’s inaction and recalled how the BJP-led NDA in its six year rule had kept prices of essential commodities under control.
Meanwhile, it was BJP’s journey from five-star hotels to villages. BJP’s national executive meeting venue, named after former party chief Kushabhau Thakre, wore a typical desi look. The party’s executive members have been put in the specially erected high-tech tents and village like surrounding has been created to spread Gadkari’s message to go to villages so that the benefits of development are reached out to the last person.
Interestingly, the air conditioned hall named after BJP veteran late Rajmata Scindia, where over 1,500 executive members closetted today, was turned into a make-shift village and the members were served carrot, radish, peas and jaggery. A BJP leader said the party in its rejuvenation mode wanted to rid itself of five-star and board room politics and regain its status of a party for the people.