Advani lists ‘failures’ of UPA govt

NEW DELHI: With the threat of mid-term polls looming large, the BJP has asked its cadre to educate the people about their party’s main campaign themes, revolving around the broad categories of national security, development and national identity.

Former deputy prime minister L K Advani spelt out these issues at the concluding session of a study camp organised by the BJP’s women’s wing in Mumbai on Monday. On each of these planks the Congress-led UPA government, he maintained, had failed miserably. “On price-rise, protection of farmers’ interests, employment for the youth - on each of these and other issues- the UPA government has been an utter failure,” he said.

With the target audience comprising women, Mr Advani sought to strike an emotional chord by hitting out at the Manmohan Singh government’s “betrayal of the aam aurat,” best exemplified by the sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities.
“The brunt of these betrayals has been borne by the aam aadmi, in whose name the Congress sought the mandate in the 2004 elections. But I would like to point out that, more than the aam aadmi, it is the aam aurat who has suffered the most because of the UPA government’s broken promises,” the former BJP president said.

The former deputy prime minister sought to buttress his contention by citing onion and potato prices. “But it is not only the rise in the prices of essential commodities that makes the life of women difficult. It is also the rise in corruption and criminalisation that has taken place during the UPA regime,” he asserted.

The BJP leader also raked up the Ram Sethu issue and the political crisis generated by the Manmohan Singh government’s decision to go ahead with the nuclear deal. He flayed Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s assertions on the Sethusamudran project, and asked a few counter-questions.

“Isn’t it your government that raked up this issue by filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court denying the very existence of Lord Ram ? Have you punished a single person in your government for this shocking insult to the Hindu sentiments? Have you publicly expressed your displeasure and disagreement with Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi for his derogatory remarks about Lord Ram? Is this how you demonstrate that the Congress has equal respect for all religions? Would you have responded in this hypocritical manner if a similar insult had been heaped upon the sentiments of minority religions?’’ he sought to know from the Congress president.

On the nuclear deal, Mr Advani wanted his party colleagues to tell the people that the Congress-led government had “surrendered” before America and agreed not to conduct any more nuclear tests. “Indeed, the aim of the agreement, as far as the US is concerned, is to ensure that India’s nuclear capability is dismantled and it is brought within the NPT’s ambit through the back door,” he alleged.