[sacw] India: Recent BJP Stories for all interested

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Web Dispatch ( BJP / Sangh Parivar in the news)
28 August 2000

[This dispatch has been compiled thru stories received through: Frederick
Noronha]

#1. Kalraj takes over as BJP chief in UP, Tripathi withdraws
#2. BJP policy anti-Dalit, says Kalyan
#3. Saffron tints Indias team to UN
#4. BJP wants more representation for Muslims
#5. Vajpayee plays down health concerns as knee pain cuts short Nagpur trip
#6. Don't surrender, fight for India's interests at WTO: BJP tells government
#7. Vajpayee's early departure from convention causes a flutter
#8. India: Nagpur no longer a power centre of the RSS
#9. India: BJP wants Coimbatore police head out
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

#1. Kalraj takes over as BJP chief in UP, Tripathi withdraws

Lucknow, Aug. 17: Kalraj Mishra was on Thursday elected unopposed as
president of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata
Party.Returning officer Pyare Lal Khandelwal made the announcement at the
State party headquarters following withdrawal of Ram Prakash Tripathi from
the fray.
Chief Minister R P Gupta, outgoing acting State chief Om Prakash Singh,
Union Surface Transport Minister Rajnath Singh and senior UP BJP ministers
and party leaders were present on the occasion.

Of the three candidates, who had filed their nominations for the post, the
third candidate Shailendra Kumar Nishad had withdrawn on Wednesday. The
withdrawal of Tripathi came on the last moment after the deadline for the
withdrawal was extended from 8 pm on Wednesday night yesterday till
Thursday morning. Mishra, who had been elected as the State party
president, would hold the post for fourth time.

Earlier, he had held the post for three consecutive terms from 1991 to
1997. Mishra, the PWD and Medical Education Minister in the UP Cabinet,
announced his resignation from the Council of Ministers.

_____

#2. BJP policy anti-Dalit, says Kalyan

Lucknow, Aug. 17: Rashtriya Kranti Party chief and former UP chief
minister Kalyan Singh on Thursday said the removal of a backward caste
leader like Om Prakash Singh from the post of State BJP chief was a
testimony to the fact that the ruling party was anti-backward
classes.Reacting to the unanimous election of Kalraj Mishra as the new
State BJP chief replacing Singh, Kalyan said in a press conference in
public life, image plays an important role.

And the image of Kalraj Mishra is adverse. With the installation of Mishra
as the State party chief, the BJPs chal, chehra, charitra, chola and
chalaaki policy stood exposed before the public, he said. Meanwhile,
outgoing acting president of UP unit of BJP Singh has expressed his
reservations about the election of Misra as the new party head of the
State saying it will lead to social imbalance.

_____

#3. Saffron tints Indias team to UN

New Delhi, Aug. 17: Preachers, spirtualists, yogis, ayurvedic experts,
Sanskrit scholars will descend on New York from India to participate in
the first ever Millennium World Peace Summit being sponsored from August
28 by the United Nations in its 54 year history.

Keeping a close watch on them as delegated observers will be VHP top brass
V H Dalmia, Ashok Singhal and Giriraj Kishore.The four-day summit, to be
inaugurated by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, will be attended by a
conglomeration of religious leaders from India. The sponsors include
organisations like the Modi Foundation and the Hinduja Foundation.

One Bawa Jain is the New York-based coordinator, bearing the august title
of secretary- general of the peace summit.The Indian coordinator is the
Modi Foundation with B K Modi prominent in the observers list where he is
described as the person looking after the external operations of the VHP.

His list of achievements listed in the official data include working with
the Hindu diaspora and authoring a book Hinduism: the Universal
Truth. There is a sprinkling of little known Muslim religious leaders with
a couple of Christians and a few Sikhs thrown in for good measure. Sadhvi
Rithambara who had played a key role before and after the destruction of
the Babri mosque in 1992 will be speaking on peace in the world as a
prominent delegate.

The pretense of accommodating the minorities has been given up altogether
in the list of 66 observers who will be participating in the summit. VHP
leaders, businessmen, chartered accountants, printers, newspaper
proprietors, electronic or cloth shop owners are the observers who will be
representing India at the summit.

The list does not include a single person qualified to talk on peace, or
representative of the minority religions that form pluralistic India.Of
course the preparations have not been without a hitch. For instance the
four Shankaracharyas have refused to participate in the summit as their
faith does not allow them to cross the seas. The Jain Munis too have
backed out as their religion does not allow them to fly.

The Indian coordinators claim that the Dalai Lama was invited but decided
not to attend because of protests lodged by the Chinese.The advisory board
of this summit comprises Karan Singh, L M Singhvi, and the man of all
seasons Abid Hussain.

______

#4.

BJP wants more representation for Muslims

by Shubhangi Khapre, India Abroad News Service

Nagpur, Aug 27 - In a concerted attempt to reverse its anti-Muslim image,
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is asking its rank and file to rework the
relationship between the party and the minority community.

Newly-installed party president Bangaru Laxman dwelt at length on the issue
in his inaugural address when he spoke of the need to bridge the gap between
the party and Muslims.

"We should actively work to bring more and more dynamic and socially
respected Muslim activists into our party. We should also have more Muslims
in our lists of candidates for various elections," he said.

He said that the party should draw up a concrete charter of action on
developmental issues that concern the Muslims. He said the distance between
the Muslims and the BJP had helped neither of the two.

Laxman's remarks come in the wake of serious efforts by the party to expand
its political and social base among the minorities and other backward
castes. The nationalist credo of the BJP has lent it an anti-Muslim image it
is trying to correct.

"Muslims have not been able to play their due role in the country's
democratic process. Such parties as they have been supporting have mostly
used them as vote banks, to keep them away from the BJP by using the bogey
of communalism. This, has not benefited the Muslim masses," Laxman said.

The party candidly admits that it has not made sustained efforts to reach
out to Indian Muslims to wean them away from other political formations. The
party feels that this is necessary if it is to improve its electoral
prospects.

"The results of the 1999 Lok Sabha elections have clearly shown that our
marginal gains were totally out of sync with the calibre and prestige of our
leadership, the highly favourable atmosphere for the BJP and the
unfavourable conditions for the Congress and other adversaries," Laxman
said.

_______

#5.

Vajpayee plays down health concerns as knee pain cuts short Nagpur trip

from India Abroad News Service

New Delhi/Nagpur, Aug 27 - Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee played down
concerns over his health today after pain in the knee joints forced him to
cut short his visit to Nagpur for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's
(BJP's) national convention.

"Not at all," Vajpayee said with a laugh when asked whether he had any
problems with his health. He told reporters he had been feeling a sharp pain
in his knees and that doctors had advised him to return to the capital.

Vajpayee also downplayed any suggestion that his condition could affect his
visit next month to the United States, where he is due to attend the
millennium summit of the United Nations and pay an official visit to the
U.S.

"I don't see any problem at the moment," said Vajpayee, 75.

A statement from Vajpayee's office said the prime minister had been
experiencing pain in both his knee-joints for the past few days due to
"exacerbation of his osteo arthritis."

"He had been advised rest after the Parliament session," said the statement,
adding he, however, chose to attend the national convention and the
installation of Bangaru Laxman as president of the BJP in Nagpur.

"Since last night the pain had aggravated, causing him further discomfort.
He has, therefore, on doctors' insistence, agreed to return to Delhi," the
statement said.

A report from Nagpur said Vajpayee suddenly left the dais while Laxman was
addressing the meeting. He was immediately taken to an adjoining
air-conditioned rest room. Party sources say that he complained of
suffocation and uneasiness.

They said Vajpayee, who was wearing his trademark dhoti-kurta and sleeveless
jacket, changed to a loose cotton kurta. He emerged on to the dais 20
minutes later and addressed the delegates while seated on the dais.

He said that he had been debating whether or not to attend the national
convention. But because it was a very significant event, he had decided to
attend. He also said that because of him, Home Minister L. K. Advani and
Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha had also got delayed for the convention as
they had all come to Nagpur together.

The prime minister had complained of uneasiness earlier in the morning too.
It was later decided that Vajpayee should address the meeting and himself
state that he was departing for New Delhi.

Source close to the prime minister's office said he had been feeling
stressed and uneasy for some time. The heat and high humidity in Nagpur only
added to the discomfiture.

"The month-long monsoon session of Parliament proved very stressful for the
prime minister. Apart from the long hours in Parliament, he was also busy
attending to very import national issues on Kashmir and related
developments," they said.

Vajpayee was to have addressed a public meeting in Nagpur this evening. This
will now be addressed by Home minister L. K. Advani.

Vajpayee is scheduled to leave for the United States on September 5 to
participate in the Millennium Summit of the United Nations General Assembly
and then pay an official visit to the United States. In a departure from
tradition, Vajpayee will board the aircraft from the international terminal
of Delhi airport and not from the adjacent high-security technical area of
the Indian Air Force.

>From the technical area, he would have had to walk 20-odd steps up the
gangway to the aircraft. From the terminal, he can get out of his car and
walk into the aircraft through an aerobridge.

--India Abroad News Service

______

#6.

Don't surrender, fight for India's interests at WTO: BJP tells government

by Shubhangi Khapre, India Abroad News Service

Nagpur (Maharashtra), Aug 27 - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called
upon the government of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to make no
compromise in defending India's interests at the World Trade Organisation
(WTO).

The call came during debate on the draft economic resolution of the BJP at
its national council convention. The draft was placed before the council by
senior party general secretary K.N. Govindacharya, seen as the link between
the BJP and hard-line affiliates that have been critical of government
economic policies.

Even as the BJP endorsed the policies pursued by the Vajpayee government on
disinvestment and agriculture, the party cautioned it not to lose sight of
the country's larger economic interests.

Significantly the thrust was on the urgency of downsizing government
expenditure. "The party urges the government to speed up its efforts to
increase revenues and drastically curb unproductive government expenditure.
There is a
need to reduce the size of departments and offices that are either
over-staffed or obsolete, both in the centre and states," the resolution
said.

Several members drew the government's attention to the challenges that the
small-scale sector is facing after the removal of quantitative restrictions
(QRs) on imports based on the commitment to the WTO made by the previous
Congress governments.

The BJP also asked the government to set up special cells in the ministries
of agriculture and small-scale industry to ensure effective anti-dumping
measures. The BJP national council appealed to the government to assess the
impact of globalisation in general and liberalisation of imports in
particular on
the Indian economy and take corrective steps in time.

The party urged the government to take immediate steps to ensure greater
inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) in areas where FDI is necessary.
However, the
government should take care that foreign companies are not allowed to
acquire existing Indian companies and that too with money raised from the
Indian capital market, it said.

Another subject which was highlighted was the rising oil import bill. The
BJP said the government should quickly put in place a nationwide campaign
for
conservation of petroleum products and to harness alternative sources of
energy.

The country imports 70 per cent of its crude oil requirements. The prices of
crude oil have soared in the last 10 months.

-- India Abroad News Service

_____

#7.

27 IANS 49

India-Politics-BJP-Sidelights

Vajpayee's early departure from convention causes a flutter

by Shubhangi Khapre, India Abroad News Service

Nagpur, Aug 27 - Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's sudden departure from
Nagpur due to a knee problem caused a major flutter at the Bharatiya Janata
Party's (BJP's) national convention.

As party leaders looked worried and restless, Union Minister for
Parliamentary Affairs Pramod Mahajan issued a written health bulltin on the
prime minister's condition, which explained that Vajpayee had been
experiencing pain in both his knee joints for the past few days. The pain
had worsened since last night, causing him severe discomfort. He returned
to Delhi on doctors' advice, the bulletin said.

But notwithstanding assurances that there was nothing wrong with Vajpayee's
health, delegates to the national convention whispered into each other's
ears and speculated about the issue of a successor to the prime minister.

-*-

When Bangaru Laxman was given a formal reception as the new party president
on the dais he was accompanied by his wife. Laxman was dressed in his
traditional dhoti (long cloth draped around the waist).

In a gesture to Laxman, who hails from southern India, Union minister
Pramod Mahajan, who is from western Maharashtra state, for once shed his
trademark 'kurta-pyjama' (long flowing shirt and slacks) outfit and wore a
southern-style 'mundu'
(knee-length dhoti) and shirt.

Leaders from Karnataka presented Laxman a royal Mysore-style headgear and
shawl. At the venue the organisers ensured there was an elaborate spread of
south
Indian food.

All the BJP delegates who attended the convention on the first
day were presented an eco-friendly cane briefcase made by tribal craftsmen.

Whenever actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha entered the venue, people
milled around him seeking his autograph. Sinha made a stylish entry, wearing
a raw silk dhoti and kurta Bihari style.

______

#8.

[Received through: Frederick Noronha]

Nagpur is no more the power centre for RSS

by Shubhangi Khapre, India Abroad News Service

Nagpur, Aug 27 - The modest, double-storeyed Hedgewar Bhawan, the
headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has stood in a narrow
city bylane for nearly eight decades.

Today, the sleepy edifice housing just half a dozen residents is in sharp
contrast to the Ladies Club at civil lines, which is bustling with activity
for the three-day national council meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), the political offshoot of the RSS.

BJP functionaries from across the country have flocked to this city of
oranges for the crucial meet. But the ambience at RSS belies the grand event
ahead.

Neither RSS chief K. Sudarshan nor joint secretary H.V. Seshadri are in
town, strengthening speculation that all is not well between the two
organisations. An RSS official, however, said their tours had been planned
before the party meet. For BJP leaders, their absence is a mere
"coincidence".

But though RSS is not directly involved with the BJP get-together, it is
quietly preparing for Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's visit to the
Murti Mandir, the memorial of Keshav Baliram Hedgewar who founded the Hindu
nationalist RSS in 1925.

Located 1.5 km from the RSS headquarters, the Mandir has been readied with
fresh flowers and decorations to welcome Vajpayee and new BJP president
Bangaru Laxman when they come calling later.

But at the entrance to the RSS office, it is only the aged workers who
huddle around chatting leisurely, sundry newspapers and a telephone the only
props beside them. Inside, the small rooms with their minimal furniture are
virtual retiring chambers for the RSS oldies. Delhi has clearly taken the
power away.

"As long as Balasaheb Deoras (former RSS chief) was living here, Nagpur was
an active RSS centre," said a long-time resident. "But when Rajju Bhaiyya
(Rajendra Singh) took charge, activity shifted to Delhi," he added.

Hedgewar Bhawan is today a far cry from the proud days of yore, they said.
Only 20 people live here, six of whom are over 60 years old. Old-timers said
the surge of committed, young workers, who left their homes for the RSS, has
abated.

But there is still one key resident here, the frail, whispering 87-year-old
Narayanrao Tarate, who had introduced a young Vajpayee to the RSS six
decades ago. Their relationship revived this March when he wrote a letter to
Vajpayee. The "teacher" now waited for his "student" prime minister's visit.

"When I was ill I received his letter saying 'we will break but not bend',"
recalled Tarate. "I wrote back: 'we will neither break nor bend'," he added.

The recent RSS unhappiness with Vajpayee's ruling coalition of National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) notwithstanding, Tarate is all praise for him.

"I think Vajpayee is managing the circus well," he told India Abroad News
Service. "Circumstances" are the real culprit for Vajpayee's inability to
fulfill the saffron agenda, he said.

But when the two meet, they are unlikely to talk politics. "I just want to
meet him and spend as much time with him as I can," Tarate whispered. His
religious agenda, however, stays unchanged. "Watch out," he said, his eyes
lighting up, "Hinduism will flourish in this century... India will be a
great nation."

Most others at the RSS office are unwilling to talk on national issues. But
much persistence elicited their unhappiness over developments in Jammu and
Kashmir, and their clear view is that India has no alternative but to take a
hard line.
______

#9.

[Received through: Frederick Noronha]

BJP wants Coimbatore police head out

from India Abroad News Service

Chennai, June 26 - The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has
demanded the removal of the Coimbatore police commissioner K.
Radhakrishnan. The party is upset that its Member of Parliament from the
city, C.P. Radhakrishnan, has been named in an FIR (first information
report) in an assault case.

Radhakrishnan and his followers are alleged to have assaulted a police
inspector and a police photographer last Tuesday. The duo was video-taping
the funeral ceremony of a BJP activist who, police says, died an unnatural
death.

State BJP president S.P. Kirubanidhi alleged that Radhakrishnan "personally
nurtured a hatred for certain organisations" and had, therefore, "foisted
cases on organizations he disliked".

Radhakrishnan has earned accolades for maintaining law and order in a city
which has gained notoriety following the bomb blasts during the visit of
Home Minister L.K. Advani two years ago.

Kirubanidhi said that Radhakrishnan had followed a policy of "confrontation
with elected representatives and political parties".

The Ministerial Staff Association of the Tamil Nadu Police Department has
condemned the assault on the two policemen. Association president N.
Abdullah told the media today that the duo was still in hospital.

--India Abroad News Service