Headlines
National executive: BJP sees generational shift, plans land bill outreach
Bengaluru, April 4
A generational shift was
evident in more than one way as BJP concluded its two-day strategy meet
here, with veteran L.K. Advani choosing to stay quiet as the party
discussed its massive expansion plans.
At the meet, the first
after it came to power in the country last year, the Bharatiya Janata
Party also decided reach out to people to defeat the "disinformation
campaign" of the opposition on the land bill.
Advani, one of the
founder members of the party, did not speak at the meet, the second time
in the history of the party founded in 1980 by him and Atal Bihar
Vajpayee along with others. The other time he did not address a national
executive meet was in June 2013 in Goa which he had skipped.
The
ambitious membership drive launched by party president Amit Shah
meanwhile received accolades with the numbers expected to touch 10 crore
by the deadline of April 30. BJP leaders expect this will pump fresh
blood and energy, involving large the masses in party activities.
Countering
Congress' portrayal of his government as "pro-corporate", Prime
Minister Narendra Modi said it was for welfare of "the poor, dalits,
exploited and deprived" sections of society.
He asked the party
to observe next year "Garib Kalyan Varsh (Poor Welfare Year)" and said
his clean India campaign was also aimed at helping the poor as lack of
cleanlines leads to diseases.
He accused the previous UPA
government of acting in the interest of corporates and urged party
workers to rebut "falsehoods" of Congress with confidence and
statistics.
Shah, in his address, said that the party had pledged to end manual scavenging by 2016.
The
stage was however dominated by the contentious land acquisition bill
with an aggressive BJP appearing ready to go at length to get it
through.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, addressing a press
conference after the meet ended, said though the government will try to
get the bill passed as it is now after amendments in Lok Sabha, it is
open to suggestions, if the opposition agrees for a discussion.
Party
leader and union minister Nirmala Sitharaman admitted that the party
was worried about the disinformation campaign on land bill and the
"campaign against the reforms we are bringing".
The minister said a detailed power point presentation was made on the bill and the party members will go and spread the message.
Jaitley
said the land acquisition bill passed by the UPA government in 2013 was
"anti-farmer" as it "prevents rural roads, housing in rural areas and
rural electrification" and the BJP will campaign among people to explain
benefits of the new bill.
Referring to the bill brought by the
NDA government, he said the proposed industrial corridors will provide
jobs to all including the landless and the Dalits.
On Advani's
silence, Jaitley refused to say what was the reason behind it. A party
leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, however said it was Advani
who decided not to speak.
On the remarks of union minister
Giriraj Singh having created an uproar, Jaitley said controversies were
unnecessary and every party member should realise his responsibility.
Another
issue that has created trouble for the government - the alliance with
People's Democratic Party to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir- was
also discussed at length.
Jaitley said the party "endorsed" the government decision to be a part of coalition government there.
The
political resolution adopted at the meet said the country had
"witnessed faster change, greater transparency with high growth" in the
past 10 months thanks to "a government and a leader they (people) have
faith in".
It also recalled contributions of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani in building the party.