BJP plays nationalist card on 1857 two-wheelers

Agencies Posted: Apr 08, 2008 at 1641 hrs
New Delhi, April 8: BJP is pulling all stops to energise its cadre ahead of the crucial round of assembly elections and latest being the series of program to mark the 150th anniversary of the 1857 uprising.

Besides agitation against the government on the issue of price rise, the main opposition party is now playing the nationalist card by commemorating the uprising anniversary, and launched a month-long program to mark the event from Tuesday.

The program is seen as an attempt by the party to fire-up its cadre and project itself as a patriotic front ranking nationalist organisation.

BJP is the only party which has been raising issues of national interest whether it is opposing attempts to denigrate 'Vande Mataram', demand for the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru or steps to tackle terrorism and curb infiltration of Bangladeshis, said party general secretary Arun Jaitley in New Delhi.

As part of the plans to mark the uprising anniversary, the saffron party will take out processions, hold public meetings, organise two-wheeler rallies, street plays and essay ompetitions culminating on May 10.

The youth wing of the BJP took out a unique rally of youth astride 1857 two-wheelers in the national capital today, the day uprising hero Mangal Pandey was executed 150 years ago.