BJP's rout in Delhi shows 'trust deficit' in PM Modi govt, says Govindacharya

NEW DELHI: BJP's rout in the Delhi elections was evidence of the "trust deficit" among voters regarding the Narendra Modi government, former RSS ideologue and key BJP strategist Govindacharya said today even as he claimed that the common man is yet to benefit from the Centre's policies.

Modi government's policies emphasise its "pro-rich" attitude, he said while criticising the new Land Acquisition Ordinance as being "anti-farmer, anti-poor and anti-nature".

"Whatever work has been done has not benefited the common man yet. It (Delhi results) shows people's trust deficit in the party as well as the government," said Govindacharya, who was seen as being a major ideological and political force in BJP in the 90s, before his comments critical of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee resulted in his ouster.

He said that talk of bullet trains and smart cities made little sense when millions of people are drinking water contaminated with arsenic and fluoride.

"There is obviously a disconnect between people, party and the government," he said.

Govindacharya, who spearheads several organisations, said he had met social activist Anna Hazare as he wanted to launch an agitation against black money, Land Acquisition Ordinance and increasing influence of money in elections.

He has long been critical of BJP and is particularly scathing of Modi.

He said that BJP has been reduced to being an "election machine" when it was meant to be a vehicle for moulding the nation as per its ideology. The party has been acting in violation of its own constitution, he charged.

"There is a new president (Amit Shah) but the national executive has not been reconstituted yet. Heads of new cells were appointed but these cells were not reconstituted. Some party bodies were disbanded but have not been replaced yet. At the policy level, pro-rich attitude has been emphasised," he said.