MESSAGE BOARD NEWSLINKS US EDITION COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Delivering the valedictory address on the concluding day of the three-day BJP national executive in New Delhi, he said workers must be made aware of the latest developments on all fronts ranging from political to economic and that they should come out of the mindset of belonging to the opposition.
He said since independence it was only the BJP, which had progressed as a political party while the Congress having been in power for 50 years had declined thus placing a responsibility on the BJP.
Advani said the thinking among party cadres, that the BJP is still in the opposition, should be given up and this is more so in states where its allies or friendly parties are in office.
Apparently referring to states like Andhra Pradesh and Haryana where NDA supporters Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) are in power, Advani said "In states where BJP's allies are ruling, we should not agitate."
Whatever criticism members had to air should be done 'in private' and not at party fora, he said.
Party president Jana Krishnamurthy said the meeting saw a free and frank exchange of views.
"The suggestions offered at the meeting were welcomed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his ministers and they explained to the members the rationale behind the decisions of the government," Krishnamurthy said.
"If party does not bring forward views than what machinery government has to elicit people's views," he said apparently referring to the criticism on the Unit Trust of India (UTI) fiasco and the Agra Summit.
Stating that this should be the relationship between the government and ruling party, he said this did not mean that the party was against the government and only showed that it was a democratic set up.
However, Krishnamurthy contended that there was a difference in criticism made by the Opposition and that by the ruling party. Criticism by the ruling party did not mean that the party was against the government, he said adding "It only showed that BJP was a democratic set-up."
Admitting that there were problems in the economy, Krishnamurthy said "These were not the making of this government and we are trying our level best to improve the situation."
He said the major problem faced by farmers was disposal of their surplus foodgrains and that the government was seized of the matter.
The BJP chief said the role of the government as far as the economy was concerned was that of facilitator and not regulator, especially after the policy of liberalisation was implemented in 1991.
"The NDA government was not going to swerve from the path of liberalisation but there was need for proper stock taking and assessment of its impact on the economy before proceeding further," he noted.
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