What was to be a showcasing of Jan Sangh ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s “Integral Humanism” thesis and the BJP’s pro-poor efforts ended up being overshadowed by last week’s terror attack in Kashmir’s Uri.
At a 3-day meeting of its National Council in Kozhikode that kicked off on Friday, the BJP went to great lengths to explain the “new trend” that it believes it is setting by getting the party organisation to effectively implement Centre’s development initiatives, the spectre of Uri pushed the discourse towards better articulation of the ruling party’s position on Pakistan.
Cricket controversyParty MP and President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Anurag Thakur’s assertion that India will not play Pakistan also veered the focus away from the BJP’s pro-poor agenda. “There are no Tests or bilateral matches scheduled with Pakistan this year. And the question does not arise to play with Pakistan today. Every Indian wants that the Indian government must expose Pakistan at the international level,” said Thakur while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the BJP’s different meetings here.
The BJP’s office-bearers were busy formulating a political resolution late on Friday evening, which will spell out the party’s position. BJP President Amit Shah is also expected to dwell on the Uri attack in his inaugural address to the National Council. Finally, all eyes are on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will address a public meeting of the party faithful at Kozhikode beach on Saturday. He will also address party leaders at the National Council meeting.
Since last Sunday when four terrorists attacked an Army base in Uri killing 18 soldiers, the BJP’s position has wavered from extracting a “jaw for a tooth”, a line advocated by party General Secretary Ram Madhav, to the more nuanced stand articulated by both the Modi and Shah. While the PM has said that those behind the terror attack “will not go unpunished”, Amit Shah said “India has been fighting against terror and this fight is in the decisive stages now”.
With the BJP’s pre-scheduled meetings — which provide a platform for over a 1,000 State and Central leaders to get together on one platform — falling within a week of the Uri attack, the leadership now is faced with the task of striking a balance between an uncharacteristically subdued position vis-à-vis Pakistan while also echoing the sentiments of its more volatile cadre.
Accordingly, Ram Madhav underlined that although the party meetings were essentially convened to dwell on the development and pro-poor agenda to coincide with Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s birth centenary celebrations, all “relevant issues and concerns” too will be discussed at the “appropriate forum and time”.
He gave details of the party programme chalked out in the last meeting of its national executive in Allahabad where all BJP chief ministers were tasked to present a blue print of how the BJP’s formidable organisational machinery can be utilised for effective implementation of the Centre’s welfare programmes. The Chief Ministers’ committee has given its report with recommendations and the BJP is set to implement them in all States where it is in power.
But while he spoke of “Integral Humanism”, Ram Madhav also underlined that the BJP will address “concerns about the situation in the neighbourhood”.
He said the party President will also hear the concerns of the leaders gathered here. “We are a party of grassroots workers. We understand and appreciate the concerns (about Uri). The party president will hear the views of the workers,” he said.
The BJP leader pointed out the diplomatic steps being taken at different international fora to isolate Pakistan on terrorism while asserting that strategic and military actions are not articulated through political speeches. “You want only statements or action?” he said, in answer to a question.