Amid strains in the NDA alliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he was "successful" in taking the coalition along in the best possible way and emphasised that it could happen because "democracy" is in the roots, values and veins of the BJP.
The Prime Minister's remarks came during an address on the occasion of the inauguration of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s new headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg here.
"In multi-party democratic set up in India, the politics of alliance is natural. Making and breaking of an alliance due to personal interest is something different. In coalition, the practice of moving together with allies is necessary.
"The BJP under Atalji (former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) successfully did this experiment. Such an attempt was also made in 1967 by Samyukta Vidhayak Dal but it could not succeed.
"We succeeded because there was democracy in our roots, convention and veins. Due to this we are successful in carrying the coalition in its best possible way and we are moving ahead," Modi said.
The Prime Minister's remarks assume importance in the wake of recent murmurings of discontent within the BJP-led NDA. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a key ally of the BJP, and the Shiv Sena are at loggerheads with the BJP over several issues.
The Prime Minister also recalled the contributions of Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, L.K. Advani and Sunder Singh Bhandari in building the party and said that the roots of democracy deepened in the party due to their style of functioning and teachings.
"I remember the days when L.K. Advani used to study the organisational democratic set up. Bhandariji used to focus on running the party constitutionally. We got such leadership. Due to these, there is 100 per cent democracy in us. In thoughts, in actions and in implementation the BJP's core is truly democratic," he said
Modi said the BJP got the opportunity to serve the people and the teachings given by the leaders on democracy are helping him run the government with the values of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'.
The Prime Minister said forming a political party is not tough in India and the beauty of a democratic set up lies in the multi-party system.
"There are several parties with their own views, ideologies and working. The fact that there are several parties in the nation adds to the beauty of democracy in India."
Recalling the BJP's journey which began with the Jan Sangh, Modi said the party could reach to this level because of the sacrifices made by the workers. "Generations of 'karyakartas' have given their life for the party."
He said the Jan Sangh and BJP leaders have been at the forefront of all leading mass movements after Independence.
"Ours is a party committed to 'Rashtra Bhakti'," the Prime Minister added.
About the new building, the Prime Minister urged the party workers to feel proud to say "ye mera karyalay hai" (this is my office) because "karyakartas" are the soul of the headquarters.
"This is not a place for personal political ambitions but a sacred place for the fulfilment of aspirations of crores of people," he said.
Equipped with all necessary modern facilities, the headquarters was constructed in one-and-a-half years. Its foundation stone was laid by Modi and BJP President Amit Shah on August 18, 2016.
--IANS
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