bjp-l-digest Monday, August 25 1997 Volume 01 : Number 368
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News, Opinion, Analysis and Publications Digest
Today's Topics
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Alliance with regional groups for social harmony: LK Advani
BJP to compaign against Cong come-back bid in Karnataka
Khurana withdraws resignation
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Date: August 24, 1997
Source: Indian Express
Alliance with regional groups for social harmony, says Advani
NEW DELHI: The BJP president, L.K.Advani, today defended his
party's tie-up with regional groups like the BSP and the
Akali Dal as being in the interest of social harmony and did
not rule out the possibility of similar alliances elsewhere,
particularly in the south. The BJP joined hands with the BSP
in Uttar Pradesh to bridge the "great tide" created by caste
politics in the state and the tie-up with the Akali Dal in
Punjab was also aimed at promoting social harmony, Advani
said in an interview.
Asked whether his party would have a tie-up with regional
parties in the south, Advani said though the DMK or the
AIADMK had not taken an anti-BJP line like Janata Dal, the
Left parties or the Congress, it was for them to decide on
such an alliance. Referring to the Independence day address
of the Prime Minister, I.K.Gujral, against corruption in
public life, Advani accused him of ''hypocrisy'' on the
issue.
He also said that the temple issue in Kashi and Mathura was
not on his party's agenda though a number of people in the
party were raising it from other forums. The BJP had
agitated on the Babri issue because "we never considered
that structure as a mosque". Even the court
recognised it as a de facto temple, but the Congress
politicised the issue following the setback in the Shah Bano
case, he said.
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Date: August 24, 1997
Source: Deccan Herald
State BJP plans campaign to thwart Cong`s comeback bid
BANGALORE, Aug 23
The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would launch a campaign
to dispel the notion that the Congress(I) is an alternative to the Janata
Dal and foil the the Congress(I)`s bid to come back to power.
''Basically there is no difference between the two parties. Both are equally
corrupt and are equally known for their misrule,`` BJP Floor Leader in the
Legislative Assembly B S Yediyurappa said, while inaugurating a two-day
meeting of the party`s State executive here today.
''The Congress is deriving its confidence from the results of the recent
by-elections, but the party has to note that it could perform well only
where the BJP is relatively weak,`` Mr K S Eshwarappa, the State BJP
president who presided over the inaugural, remarked.
POWER SITUATION: Mr Yediyurappa said the Congress is now criticising the
Janata Dal for the bleak power situation, but had done precious little to
improve things when it had been in office. Similarly, the Congress has been
condemning the Patel government for making nominations to the elected
agriculture produce marketing committees (APMCs), but the previous Congress
governments had very much followed the ''nomination culture``, he pointed
out.
He said the Patel government was in a comatose state. The chief minister, in
his bid to appease the warring factions within the Janata Dal, is not being
able concentrate much on administration and developmental work.
'NO MORAL RIGHT`: Referring to Prime Minister I K Gujral decrying corruption
in his Independence Day address to the nation, Mr Yediyurappa said that Mr
Gujral had no moral right to speak about the menace of corruption as he had
failed to dismiss former Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav who was
facing grave corruption charges in the multi-crore fodder scam.
Mr Eshwarappa said the BJP was left with no alternative, but to launch a
campaign to mobilise people against the Janata Dal and the Congress(I). Mr
Yediyurappa said that the party leaders would tour all over the State from
September 11 and organise programmes at all district centres to draw the
government`s attention to the farmers` problems.
Similarly, Mr Yediyurappa said, this year`s Gandhi Jayanthi (October 2)
would be observed by organising awareness camps in over 10 slums in the
State. All elected representatives of the BJP would participate in the
programme, he added. The two-day state executive would chalk-out the details
of the programmes.
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Date: August 25, 1997
Source: HIndustan Times
Khurana withdraws resignation
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NEW DELHI, Aug. 24 (UNI) Former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana today
withdrew his resignation from the posts of BJP vice president and incharge
of the party's units in Punjab and Rajasthan.
Mr Khurana had resigned in protest against the party high command's decision
not to reinstate him as Chief Minister of Delhi even after he was acquitted
in the hawala case.
In a statement here this evening, Mr Khurana said he was withdrawing his
resignation in deference to the wishes of party leaders L. K. Advani, Atal
Behari Vajpayee and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat who
were his "role models."
He said Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC president
Gurcharan Singh Tohra had also persuaded him to withdraw his resignation.
Th e BJP leader said a host of Delhi party MLAs and workers had called on Mr
Advani and Mr Shekhawat to express their resentment over "certain issues"
and was confident that the senior leader would give due consideration to
their "feelings. "
Mr Khurana also said in the statement that the three leaders of the BJP-Mr
Advani, Mr Vajpayee and Mr Shekhawat - would be visiting his Kirti Nagar
residence for a dinner meeting tonight.
Asked to comment on his resignation, Mr Khurana said he had resigned to give
vent to the feelings of "unhappiness of the Delhi party workers and
legislators with regard to "certain issues."
He said discussions had been going on for the past two days among the
aggrieved MLAs and party workers. They also had a day-long session with Mr
Advani and Mr Shekhawat and opened up their mind and it was also felt that
he should take back his resignation.
Mr Khurana said he sincerely believed that the senior leaders would give due
weightage to the "feelings and problems" of the MLAs and the party workers
in the national Capital.
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End of bjp-l-digest V1 #368
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