The Janata Dal leaders indicated in Patna yesterday that apart from trying to build up their own party they would also strive to strengthen the third force which was already at the helm at the Centre.
Addressing the State Janata Dals Workers Pledge Conference here at S K Memorial Hall, former Prime Minister, H D Deve Gowda said: The very objective of strengthening the Janata Dal is to consolidate the third force that is ruling the country with the help of the Left.
He flayed the BJP for using the Ram card and mixing religion with politics just to grab power and told the gathering that Janata Dal would have to play a vital role in collaboration with secular parties for the development of the nation.
In fact the Bihar Janata Dals Workers Pledge Conference (Karyakarta Sanklap Diwas) turned into a forum to throw a challenge and caution the RJD. Leaders after leaders who addressed the conference said the misdemeanour of the ruling party would be effectively met with.
The former Prime Minister said that all the committed workers of the party should work collectively to strengthen the party and he would be visiting different parts of the country to win back the confidence of the people. The chairman of the United Front said that his party would concentrating more on Bihar because the party had its root in Bihar and it owed its formation to the Jaya Prakash Narayan movement of 1974.
Referring to Sitaram Kesris allegation that the decision to withdraw support to his government was justified by the Congress party, the former Prime Minister said that the same person gave direction to his partymen to support the RJD government in Bihar. The directive of Kesri was aimed at demolishing the Janata Dal and the United Front. He asked the party workers to understand the dual policy of the Congress.
He told the gathering that the Janata Dal would not remain a silent spectator and assured the party workers and well wishers that a non-violent agitation would be launched to counter the moves of the corrupt RJD government that was out to eliminate the party workers. He said that the party was fortunate that some self seekers who were out to weaken the party had themselves parted ways.
Former food and civil supplies minister, Devendra Prasad Yadav, MP had set the tone for Laloo bashing who said that Rastriya Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad Yadav, was out to throttle democracy as the RJD criminals with the help of administration was attacking the party workers throughout the state.
He asked the national JD president, Sharad Yadav to allow the party workers to deal with the goons Laloo Prasad Yadav on their own. Yadav said that the main motto of the RJD was to provide enough food to Laloo Prasad Yadav and his brother-in-law, Sadhu Yadav.
He said that both Jagannath Mishra and Laloo Prasad Yadav who had looted the state treasury in tandem were cooling their heels in Jail. According to him while the BJP was misusing the name of Lord Ram, Laloo Prasad Yadav was misusing the name of Krishna. The former minister asked the party workers to launch Chakka Jam agitation till the red card to 86 lakh families living below the poverty line in the state was not distributed.
The Janata Dal president Sharad Yadav, said that Bihar had become synonymous with poverty, corruption, casteism and extremist violence. During the seven years of Laloos misrule development had taken back seat. According to him Yadav deliberately split the party since he knew that he would not be accepted by self respecting party workers and a rubber stamp could not be made the chief minister of Bihar. He said that those who had left the party would soon rule their fate.
The Janata Dal president asked the party workers to take a pledge that they would make Janata Dal a party with which the poors, peasants, artisans, downtrodden could identify themselves. He gave the slogan of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan and Jai Dastkar. He said that communalism was a major issue but corruption too was dangerous and both had to be fought together.
Union railway minister, Ram Bilas Paswan, said that the party would be strengthened within three months and hoped at the Janata Dal would be able to form the government both at the state and Centre. He said that during seven years of Laloos rule not a single Dalit or Adivasi was nominated to Rajya Sabha. He said that party slogan during the election would be Kamane Walal Khaeyga, Lootene Wala Jayega (The plunderers would go and tillers would rule)
The conference was a success by all accounts and was much impressive than the state level conference of the Congress party that was Addressed by the AICC president Sitaram Kesri here at the same venue on September 9.
