| Font Size |
In a fiery speech in Lok Sabha, her first as the Deputy Leader of Opposition, BJP member Sushma Swaraj blasted Congress MP Girija Vyas for her opening remarks on the debate on Motion of Thanks on the address, during which she had said that the poll results marked the end of BJP-NDA, She rubbished claims that the mandate was a nod for the good policies of the previous regime and for secularism.
“Why did Girija Vyas take out her anger (at not getting a cabinet berth) on us when she said these elections marked the end of the BJP...elections are won and lost but this does not mean the end,” Swaraj said.
She reminded Vyas of the number of times she had lost and won the elections.
The BJP may have lost but it had not left the battlefield yet, Swaraj said adding, her party was determined to fight back. “We are 116 still while you had 114 in 1999.”
Swaraj argued that UPA claim of this election victory being a mandate for its policies was misplaced.
“The Prime Minister, Defence Minister, HRD Minister and Home Minister for four and a half years (Shivraj Patil) did not contest. The present Home Minister (P Chidambaram) won only after a recount. Mani Shankar Aiyar, Santosh Mohan Deb, Anbumani Ramadoss, Shankar Singh Vaghela and Renuka Chaudhary (all cabinet ministers) lost,” she said.
Swaraj said 21 ministers in the previous UPA government did not contest the Lok Sabha elections while 16 ministers lost the polls.
She maintained that the election results cannot be called a mandate in favour of secularism as the Left parties – whom she called the biggest votaries of the cause -- were reduced to 43. Others like Lalu Prasad came down from 23 to 4 and Mulayam Singh Yadav from 38 to 22 seats.
"This is not a victory of your policies but of circumstances which went in your favour," she said.
Swaraj accused the UPA government of hijacking the BJP election agenda and putting it in the Presidential Address.
"Advani was the first one to raise the issue of Indian black money in Swiss banks, one-rank one-pay was in our agenda, four NDA ruled state have already implemented 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayats and Chhattisgarh was the first state to give rice at Rs 3 per kg to BPL families," Swaraj said.
This provoked Vyas to quip, "Are you testing our patience? Next you will say you made all the sacrifices and won us freedom." Swaraj accused Vyas of digressing.
Accusing the UPA government of giving step-motherly treatment to BJP-ruled states, she said Chhattisgarh government was told to buy rice from the market while Madhya Pradesh was told to import coal to meet its power demands.
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|
Regarding speech by Smt Sushma Swaraj, I like to say that BJP leaders spoke in a very rehotric and fiery manner as well as in a loud and affirmative style. But this only does't not work in the present political situation in India. See, Rahul Gandhi, he spoke very calmly and work more. We all Indians want to cultivate such culture. BJP should take a note of it
Who has given authority to the UPA to define the defiantion of Seculariesm.I think they have taken a quata to define what is the meaning of Secularism. The word secular has ruined this nation into hell.Who oppose the minorities to adopt family family and maintian better lefe. If there concept so high, why they are taking shelter with the Umbrella of Sachhar Committee.Who oppose them to become Doctor, CA/CS/CWA etc.It is there mentality and old concept induce them to be always as down trodden. They are solely responsible for there plight, no body else.
Perhaps Sushma Swaraj has not read many interpretations by her own party leaders and sympathizers.Their bold confessions(Mr. Kulkarni in Tehlka) expressing directionlessness and widespread confusion among the BJP leadership and handicaps in many aspects may prove for more useful for the political survival of BJP.Such baseless attacks (lacking in substance)against congress are of little use in slowing down the momentum by which the BJP is heading for total irrelevance.Sushma has only strengthened the view that BJP will not get rid of its hardened habits.Instead of toning down her shrillness(as advised by MR. Jaitley)she has shown her mood for turning more aggressive.There is no hope for the required unlearning being demanded by the sane people all around the world.I think the verdict is definitely against shrillness typified by Sushma and is for the wise discourse of the congress leadership.
While I do agree with most part of Ms. Sushma Swaraj's remarks, I do not agree with her statement that the UPA did not win on the basis of their policies. In fact, the UPA won so many seats because of their policy of appeasement of the minorities especially Muslims. All reports after the elections had said that the Muslims and Christians voted in very large numbers while majority of those who did not vote were Hindus. They showed the appeasement again when the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra declared extra sops to the Muslims immediately after the election results were declared as a gesture of gratitude of their support as reported by India Today recently. The first thing Ms. Shiela Dikshit said after the election results was that she would monitor the implementation of Sachar committee report on priority basis.
In Karnataka BJP won 19 seats out of 28. Ms Swaraj says "that the election results cannot be called a mandate in favour of secularism". It is true. In karnataka the BJPs election campaign was centered around hindutva. They held a series of Hindu samjotsavas where they had outstation speakers from VHP blaming muslims and christians for the India's ills and this formula worked. If they had done the same in Andhra and Maharshtra they could have won a majority easily.
BJP unfortunately no agenda for the inprovement and develpement of India. Their agenda is 1. Destroy all relegious places belong to other than Hindu. Kill innocent people in Gujarat, Call honest people like Dr manMohan singh as Nikamma. How do they expect to come back. Next election BJP will be left with Hema malini, Shatrugan Sinha and Vinod Khanna
Well spoken. Wish the BJP could mobilize more such leaders. Then the 116 MPs will swell to 348 members !
as per secular english media and kangress-taliban only kangress is secular,and all hindus r communal.