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Rajesh Sinha
JODHPUR, Aug 24: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today asked the Congress to take a break from politics accusing the party of being incapable of practising and protecting democracy.
``Congress ko ab vishram lena chahiye (Congress should take rest now). The 110-year-old party has had its innings,'' Vajpayee said, addressing a rally of about 25,000 people here. BJP leaders were seen urging the police to let in more people, especially those waiting outside the stadium.
``There is no inner-party democracy in the Congress. Its leader is not elected. And none can raise voice against her,'' Vajpayee said.
Blaming the Congress for frequent elections and political instability, he said toppling governments had become the party's ``prime business''. It not only pulled down the BJP-led government but had earlier toppled governments of I K Gujral, H D Deve Gowda, Chandrashekhar and Charan Singh, he pointed out.
Vajpayee said his government could have managed one vote to survive in the trial of strengthbut ``we did not want to buy MPs by following the path of the Narasimha Rao government,'' he said.
Vajpayee also raised the issue of extending reservation to castes aspiring for inclusion in the backward castes category.
The Jat community, which has been a traditional Congress vote-bank, has been agitating for reservation in this State. The State BJP, in league with disgruntled Jat leaders in Jat Mahasabha, has been trying to exploit the community's resentment with the Congress on the issue.
Starting his speech with a homage to the warriors who sacrificed their lives in Kargil, he said that India had scored a major military and diplomatic victory in Kargil. He said the armed forces would be strengthened and equipped with modern weaponry to frustrate Pakistan's evil designs.
He reiterated that his party formed the government, with the help of friendly parties, at a time when the country was going through difficult times. Soon it started tackling the problems effectively and the situation improved. Thisworried the Congress. So, it conspired with other parties to overthrow the government.
Vajpayee accused the Congress of ``creating political instability'' which had emboldend Pakistan to make adventurous intrusions into Kargil.
``Pakistan thought that since the Lok Sabha had been dissolved and India was in the thick of political upheaval, her effort to redraw the Line of Control in Kashmir would not be effectively challenged,'' he said.
Replying to the allegation that Kargil was the result of his government having been naively taken in by actions of Nawaz Sharif, Vajpayee said he had gone to Lahore because ``we want friendly relations with our neighbours. But Pakistan betrayed us and got a lesson for its misadventure''.
He said his government could not fully implement the agenda of development because it was not allowed by other parties to remain in office.
But if returned to power we would complete the unfinished part of the agenda.
As Vajpayee was going to conclude his speech, State electionincharge and Rajya Sabha MP Ramdas Agarwal slipped a note to him. Vajpayee then took up the issue of the backward groups.
Vajpayee also mentioned each one of the war heroes of Jodhpur and recounted their tales of valour.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
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