On BJP’s birthday, PM Modi invokes its founders

SUNDARGARH/SONEPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the occasion of BJP’s 39th foundation day on Saturday to pay tribute to senior leaders of the party, including former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former party presidents and so-called “margdarshaks” Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. “The party was born out of the sweat of its workers, not dynasty or money. It came into being and grew manifold with the sweat and labour of its workers,” the PM said, adding that the party was guided by stalwarts such as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Vajpayee, Advani, Jagannathrao Joshi, Rajmata Scindia and Joshi.

The PM’s comments assume significance as two of the veterans he named as guiding lights — Advani and Joshi — have opted out of the race for the 2019 elections over the party leadership’s perceived hesitation in handing out tickets to leaders above the age of 75. “I salute every worker of BJP. It is the biggest democratic organisation in the world. We are now a strong alternative to Congress and other parties which were born out of it,” Modi said.

The PM, who made the comments during rallies in Odisha’s Sundargarh and Sonepur, also tweeted on the occasion, even putting up a short video featuring speeches of Vajpayee and Advani, besides those of himself and party chief Amit Shah. In Sundargarh, the only Odisha seat BJP bagged in the 2014 LS polls, and Sonepur, Modi launched a scathing attack on BJD, charging it with lacking “sahi niti & sahi niyat (right policies and intention) for development. “Had BJD’s intention been noble, farmers would have got the proper price for their produce that this chowkidarhad decided for you. Benefits of Ayushman Bharat would have reached you. But BJD has put a halt to development of Odisha,” the PM said.

Modi also attacked Congress, giving a call for “Congress hatao”, in a contrast to Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s reiteration of the Indira Gandhi-era party slogan of “Garibi Hatao”.