[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-53

[Taha Mehmood]

http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=263673

 	
LD BJP	

Pet Hindutva issues resurface at BJP meet

FROM K G SURESH RANCHI, NOV 25 (PTI)

A day after the BJP shed its ideological inhibitions, the party's
national executive here today raised pet Hindutva issues including cow
protection, Bangaldeshi infiltration and "perverse" use of some
Madrasas and accused the UPA Government of being totally influenced by
vote bank politics in handling national security issues.

Preparing for the coming Assembly elections in Haryana and
extremist-prone Bihar and Jharkhand, the saffron party also alleged a
nexus between the Congress, its allies and some extremists in the
recent Lok Sabha elections.

While the party demanded enactment of a law to ban cow slaughter in a
resolution on Agriculture adopted on the second day of the meeting,
another resolution on internal security demanded scrapping of the IMDT
Act and asked the Government to act on dire warnings and detailed
recommendations given by intelligence agencies regarding the growth
and "perverse" use of some Madrasas all along the country's borders.

"Cow slaughter should be totally banned. We had prepared a bill but
the Congress and Communist parties raised an uproar and did not allow
us to introduce it," BJP General Secretary Rajnath Singh, who moved
the resolution, told reporters here.

Asked whether the party has evolved a consensus among NDA constituents
on the issue, the former Agriculture Minister said "NDA is in its
place. We have our principles and ideology and our demand is in larger
national interests." Interestingly, most of the demands raised by the
BJP in its resolutions are akin to the demands of both RSS and VHP.

The BJP termed as "reprehensible" the Andhra Pradesh Government's
decision to lift the ban on the People's War Group and to allow
naxalites to move in the state with arms. The party alleged the
internal dialogue process which was giving an impetus to the peace
process in Kashmir during the NDA Government had broken down.

It also said the UPA Government was completely at sea in combating
insurgency in the North-East, and on the increasing ISI activity and
the support the insurgents are getting from camps in Bangladesh.

Shedding the party's earlier ideological inhibitions, BJP President
L.K.Advani had at his inaugural address yesterday warned its
adversaries against indulging in anti-Hindu politics and statecraft
under the cover of secularism. "The BJP will stand in their path like
a rock, prepared to make any sacrifice," he had said.

The BJP Resolution on Internal Security called upon the Government to
take the nation and its Parliament into confidence on the situation in
Jammu and Kashmir and the progress in the peace process.

In an apparent reference to Armed Force Special Power Act, it asked
the Government to desist from snatching away from the defence forces
instruments that are necessary to fight terrorists and secessionists.

The saffron party demanded immediate scrapping of the IMDT ACT, "which
has completely disabled security and civilian authorities from
deporting Bangladeshi Infiltrators and which has, perversely, served
as an open invition for a demographic invasion of India".

It also sought among other things implementation of multi-purpose
national identity card, formation of an integrated command for the
entire north-east, setting up of a joint command and task forcefor
adequately delaing with naxalite terrorists, drafting a strict and
decisive strategy to combat underworld and anti-social forces and
"firmly scotch moves that seek to pull Kashmir away from the rest of
India under the pretext of talks".

Meanwhile, the Resolution on Agriculture expressed concern over
suicide by farmers in several states and demanded that the Government
remounce its "callous attitude" and set up a high-powered national
study team to comprehensively examine this "unfortunate and
discreditable" phenomenon and implement the team's recommendations in
a time-bound manner.

Apparently reflecting the Sangh Parivar's approach to Indo-Pak
relations, the BJP resolution said "the Kashmir policy of the UPA has
left the nation bewildered. There is lack of clarity in the Government
about the basic ideological roots of problems between India and
Pakistan." The party expressed serious concern over the "criminally
casual manner" in which the nation's internal security was being
handled and charged the Congress-led coalition with repealing
anti-terror laws motivated only by vote bank considerations.

"The issue of illegal infiltration from Bangladesh to India amounts to
a demographic invasion of the country. This issue cannot be handled
through politically partisan approach. Infiltrators cannot be seen
only as potential voters. Infiltration has serious social and security
dimensions," the resolution said.

"The UPA Government instead of adopting a focused and firm approach
has been apologetic even about our census figures, and has shown a
complete lack of firmness in dealing with infiltrators," it said.

Asked to elaborate on allegations of Congress party's nexus with
extremists in the Lok Sabha polls, party spokesman Arun Jaitley said
it was visible in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar,
Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.