HVK Archives: We have nothing to say in our defence, we were compelled
We have nothing to say in our defence, we were compelled - The Indian Express
Posted By Krishnakant Udavant (kkant@bom2.vsnl.net.in)
April 27, 1998
Title: We have nothing to say in our defence, we were compelled
to join hands with Sukh Ram
Author:
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: April 27, 1998
BJP national secretary Narendra Modi represents the party's young
and aggressive face. A swayamsewak since his childhood - he is
still a pracharak - the 45-year-old leader steered his party to
success in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in the recent Lok Sabha
elections Ironically, it was Gujarat which handed him a shock
treatment two years ago when the faction led by Shankersinh
Vaghela broke away from the BJP Modi, who is branded a hardliner,
was subsequently moved from Gujarat.
But he is back with a bang, and his party colleagues believe that
the bearded leader from Gujarat is likely to be entrusted with
greater responsibilities by the party's president Kushabhau
Thakre. As a middlerung party leader put it, "He is the BJP's
rising star, the man to watch out for "Modi spoke to Devesh
Kumar about his party's post-Government agenda. Excerpts.
You've been credited with the BJP's recent success in Gujarat and
Himachal Pradesh. But in Himachal Pradesh, it was your party's
post-poll alliance with Sukh Ram's Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC)
that led to the downfall of the Congress government and its
replacement with the BJP-HVC alliance government. How do you
explain your party's new-found love for Sukh Ram, a man who faces
serious charges of corruption?
We have nothing to say in our defence. But the reality is that
the people of the State gave such a verdict that no party emerged
with a majority. But it is also a fact that the Congress was
rejected and the people expressed their desire for a non-Congress
government. We were compelled by the circumstances to join hands
with Sukh Ram.
Moreover, the Congress regime led by virbhadra Singh was not only
autocratic, but had become highly unpopular because of its
misrule.
He therefore had to be removed. In order to usher in Ram Rajya,
sometimes the help of people like Vibhishan have to be taken. In
Ramayan, Ram has to attack Bali from behind to kill him.
In recent years, the BJP has also fallen prey to problems such as
indiscipline. Each State unit is ridden with factionalism. So
much so, people have started comparing it decisively with the
Congress.
Our party has always been at the receiving end of its critics for
the last 50 years. We were hurled with sobriquets such as Gandhi
ka hatyara (Gandhi's killers), urbanbased, Baniya, orthodox, anti-
Dalit party. Now a new slogan has been raised - that the party is
getting increasingly Congressised. Initially, when there were no
voices of dissension, it was said that there was no democracy
within the party. Now if our members raise their voice, they say
that the party is ridden with factionalism.
There is infighting in some States, I admit. We're concerned
about them.
Now that the BJP is in power at the Centre, how will you maintain
the party's distinctiveness? Will it not be dwarfed by the
government?
For years, it has been our party's convention that the national
executive meetings were always concluded with a speech by Atal
Behari Vajpayee. In the executive meeting held recently, Atalji
summed up this predicament: "Now that I am in the Government, the
party should assign this task to some other member." He also said
it correctly that the Government will not run the party, but it
will be the party which will run itself and the Government too.
Now that we are faced with a new situation in which our party is
a dominant partner in the Government at the Centre, we will try
to serve as the link between the Government and the people. We
will try to publicise the Government's achievements among the
people. At the same time, we will also strive to make the
Government aware of the people's grievances. We will put pressure
on the Government to react to them.
Take the example of the Bill reserving 33 per cent seats for
women in Parliament and State legislatures. We'll make an effort
to make the people aware of its implications before the
Government introduces it.
Whatl be your party's priorities under the new scheme of
things?
Our new president, Kushabhau Thakre spelled them out the day he
was elected to the post. We'll try to expand our activities in
areas where the BJP's presence is not formidable or where there
is only a marginal presence. In other areas, we'll try to
consolidate our base.
We are also planning to organise political conferences in all 543
Lok Sabha constituencies with a
view to involving people even at the grass-roots level.
In the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi where
assembly elections are to be held later this year, we'll try to
reach out to our workers. Senior leaders of the party will be
asked to visit these States.
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