NDA will cancel UPA's minority-appeasement schemes: BJP April 06, 2008

The Bharatiya Janata Party has said if the National Democratic Alliance comes to power at the Centre in next general elections, it will cancel all the schemes being implemented by the United Progressive Alliance government to 'appease a particular community'. "If NDA comes to power at the Centre in the coming Lok Sabha polls, we will cancel all those schemes announced by the UPA government on the basis of religion to appease a certain section," BJP president Rajnath Singh told PTI in an interview. He said the welfare measures announced by the Centre to provide benefit to a particular community was 'dangerous' for the country and NDA will withdraw all those schemes straightaway. He did not name the community, but the reference was apparently to Muslims. "We will not give scholarship to somebody on the basis of whether he is Muslim or Christian. Our welfare measures will be based on economic condition of the people," Singh said, strongly criticising certain schemes in this year's budget. Confident of NDA's return to power in the coming general elections, the BJP president said talks are going on with many political parties so as to expand the NDA fold. "Talks are going on with many political parties to expand the NDA," he said. Singh, however, declined to name the parties with whom talks are in progress, cryptically saying, "I am confident that the number of parties in NDA will certainly increase soon". Asked whether NDA convener George Fernandes' comment contradicting L K Advani's claim that he was not party to the decision to send then external affairs minister Jaswant Singh to accompany militants to Kandahar in 1999 was an embarrassment to the party, Singh replied in the negative. "It is not an embarrassment," Singh said refusing to elaborate on the touchy issue. Asked to comment on Advani's recent effort to improve his strained relations with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Singh said the rival party failed to reciprocate the 'good gesture' shown by the BJP leader. Advani called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress president to greet them on the occasion of Holi. Firing a salvo at the UPA government for its 'total failure in every front', Singh said the growing discontentment among common people and rocketing inflation will dethrone the alliance from the power. He said, for the first time, BJP has completed formation of committees at booth level in 75 per cent parliamentary constituencies of the country, and that the party was ready for Lok Sabha polls at 'any time'. "I am more than confident that BJP will emerge as single largest party in the general elections and the NDA will bounce back to power," he said. Asked about BJP's prospect in coming assembly elections in several key states, Singh said his party was very confident of getting absolute majority in Karnataka. "We are very sure of getting an absolute majority in Karnataka," he said. "Although anti-incumbency may affect the party's prospects in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, still the party is hopeful of coming back to power in these three states," he added. Queried about Left's proposal to forge an alternative to the Congress and BJP, Singh said there was no space for a third front in the country. Favouring a pro-active policy for women in politics, the BJP president said the party will allot more seats to women for coming assembly and Lok Sabha polls this time around. Asked whether he has a greater acceptability as leader of the party now following electoral success in many states, Singh only said, "I do not know whether I am a tall leader or small leader in the party. But I always try to asses the ground realities and take steps accordingly". On whether BJP's dismal performance in Uttar Pradesh was a matter of concern for him, Singh, also the former chief minister of the state said, "BJP's performance will significantly improve in UP in the Lok Sabha polls". Replying to another question on BJP's opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal, Singh said, "BJP wants to improve relations with the US but not at the cost of the strategic security interest of the country". He said if NDA came to power, it would renegotiate the deal with Washington. Criticising the Centre for the agrarian crisis facing the nation, the BJP leader said the Government should announce a total waiver of agricultural loans to the farmers without any categorisation. Singh said the Rs 60,000 crore loan waiver to the farmers is nothing more than a 'gimmick'. On the Tibet issue, Singh accused the government of adopting a 'weak policy', saying government was buckling under Left's pressure on it. "The Left parties are more loyal to China than to the country, which is very unfortunate". He also accused the Centre of 'total failure' in maintaining internal security and said, if required, NDA will bring a more stringent law than the POTA. [From Internet]