GRAND LOTUS CONGREGATION IN MADURAI


5TH STATE CONFERENCE OF BJP IN TAMIL NADU

- V Shanmuganathan

More than 2 lakh people attended the day long assembly in the temple town Madurai on 10th May, 2012. The massive turnout of people across the state had made the Tamil Nadu unit of BJP to become a formidable player in state politics.

The BJP was focused as a party to preserve the specialties of Tamil language, literature, culture, and its greatness. It organized exhibition, music and dance programmes in the venue.

The sate President, Pon. Radhakrishnan, called upon the workers to take up the challenge of being an alternative to the two major Dravidian parties. He hoped that the conference would be a turning point in the state politics.

Leaders of the state L. Ganesan, C P Radhakrishanan, H Raja, and many more people attacked the rule of DMK for the failure to protect of the interests of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Bus fare revision and poor power supply management of the present government was also criticized.

P Murlidhar Rao, National Secretary, said the party’s objective is to organize the next conference in Chennai while holding the reins of power in Fort. St. George. If the BJP became powerful in Tamil Nadu, there would not be any challenge from divisive forces in the form of bomb threats and blasts.

The state unit of the medical cell, guided by Dr. Rajendiran and Dr. V. Aravinda Reddy organized, medical test for diabetes by eminent diabetologists for one lakh people.

BJP IS NOT A MOTHER-SON PARTY

All India BJP President Shri Nitin Gadkari came to the conference venue along with all India organizing secretary Shri Ram Lalji and V. Satish.

He hoisted the flag at the venue of the conference and lighted the kuthuvilakku (Lamp) placed in front of the majestic Meenakshi Devi statue on diaz.

Shri Nitin Gadkari, appreciated the state president and his team of office bearers for the huge gathering of people inside the conference hall and outside. Shri Nitin Gadkari, spoke in a thundered voice, and said that the “Bad Time” for the Congress had started and BJP led alliance will capture power in the next Lok Sabha elections.

The country is suffering because of rising prices, growing unemployment, declining exports, corruption and poverty. This miserable situation is created by Congress led UPA.

The wrong economic policies and corruption are making people’s life miserable. BJP is working hard to set right the situation. The Vajpayee-led NDA government had envisaged a 12% growth rate and ensured 9% but this has decreased to 5.5% under UPA rule. Congress party and its southern ally DMK did not do anything to prevent the killings of Tamils in Sri Lanka during the ethnic strife and attacks on fishermen from Tamil Nadu.

Gadkari said he had told Colombo that addressing these issues was of primary importance for cordial relationship between the two countries.

He made a dig at the Congress and said that the BJP is not a mother-son or father-son party. Anyone can grow through the ranks to reach the top. Citing his own example, he said he had risen from being a grass root worker to being party chief. He charged the Congress Party for trying to conspire to distance the BJP from minorities, especially Muslims, by branding it as communal and anti-muslim. Gadkari said, the party is beyond any such divisions and recalled the candidature of APJ Abdul Kalam being proposed for presidential poll earlier.

He lauded the governance initiatives of states ruled by BJP or its allies like Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab on various fronts including Agriculture, Electricity, power supply, water management and women empowerment.

After his speech, noon food was served to lakhs of people who attended the conference in a buffee pattern through various counters.

TOTAL BAN ON CONVERSIONS

Shri LK Advaniji, Smt. Sushma Swaraj and Shri Venkaiah Naidu came to the venue of conference in the afternoon session.

M. Venkaiah Naidu charged the UPA for failing on all fronts including economy and security. He promised to spend 60% of the budgetary allocations on agriculture, if voted to power. Naidu said BJP will impose “total ban” on religious conversions besides dealing terrorism with an “iron hand”. He also said Ramsetu would be declared a national heritage.

ENTIRE NATION IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PLIGHTS OF TAMILS IN SRILANKA

Smt. Sushma Swaraj spoke about her recent visit to Sri Lanka. In no uncertain terms she said, that the unity and integrity of Sri Lanka be respected the way India’s unity and integrity were respected. She questioned, why, when Sri Lanka’s respected Tamil leader R Sampanthan says that he wanted Tamils to remain in a united Sri Lanka, certain leaders in Tamil Nadu want to promote Tamil separatism for Sri Lanka. Her statement was an obvious attack on M. Karunanidhy, the DMK leader who recently said that Sri Lanka should be divided to carve out a separate state called Tamil Eelam. She also criticized both DMK and AIADMK for not joining them in their fact finding mission to Sri Lanka and pointed out Sri Lanka made no restrictions whatsoever in meeting all people displaced by the war and the people told them all grievances without any hindrance.

She asserted that it was not a picnic for the MPs, she said the panel insisted on visiting the internally displaced people who were kept in camps. “We told them that their visit would have no purpose at all, if they were not allowed to meet the affected Tamils, she said.

Regretting that a newspaper had belittled the visit by carrying a photograph of Ms. Swaraj receiving a gift from the Sri Lankan President, she said the Indian panel had to show some diplomatic courtesy. “I received it as a representative of the country and not as an individual. The gifts have been deposited with parliamentary treasurary. I have not taken it”. Finally she said, “The mission was successful. We have made it clear to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapksa that it is not just Tamil Nadu that is bothered about the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils, but the entire nation is concerned about them.”

HUGE GATHERING

Senior party leader L K Advani traced the evolution of the party. He said from being one of the four recognized political parties after the 1952 general elections, it had grown to become strong alternative force to the Congress party. “Any party, like an army fighting a battle, should have besides good Generals and Commanders, a sound strategy and a clear vision. Dr. Shyam Prasad Mukherjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya and former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee were the Generals who had brought the party to what it is today, ensuring a bi-polar polity. The party had fought the denial of equal rights for Indian citizens in J & K as guaranteed by the constitution. Later the BJP formed a strategy to fight the mighty Congress that was posing a danger to democracy. BJP sought support from all the non-congress parties. Challenging the Congress party’s hegemony was one of the party’s biggest achievment. As part of BJP’s effort to break the Congress stronghold, it had carefully “built” relationship with leders including late Jai Prakash Narain, Ram Manohar Lohia and Morarji Desai. On the Yatra undertaken by him, were efforts to promote “Genuine Secularism”. He said that India can become a super power only when there is a government known for good governance that promoted welfare of the common man and ensured the security of the country in all respects. BJP is the party aiming to bring happiness in life of common people and make Bharath as super power. First time, I am seeing such a mammoth gathering of audience, which has crossed six digits of numbers. I am happy that Tamil Nadu has started to respond and support BJP very well.”

Thus the conference generated hope and confidence in the mind of the large gathering of workers, admirers, supporters and new entrants of BJP.

V Shanmuganathan

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