Press Release

The first meeting of the newly constituted Disciplinary Action Committee of the BJP met yesterday, with Party President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu present. It discussed how to further strengthen the disciplinary apparatus within the Party. The meeting was attended by Shri Ram Naik, Chairman of the committee and its members Prof. Brijlal Rinva, Shri Nand Kishore Yadav and Shri Ram Kripal Sinha.

In his remarks, Shri Naidu made the following remarks:

 

"I cannot overemphasize the urgent need to promote and strengthen the culture of discipline and self-discipline at all levels, beginning with higher echelons. We have discussed this matter at great length both at the Mumbai meeting of the National Executive in June and later at the Party's Chintan Baithak in Goa. Now the time has come to act - and act decisively -- on the basis of what we have discussed and decided in this regard.

Party President Shri Naidu stated that one of the important issues deliberated in the 'Goa Chintan Baithak' was to motivate rank and file of the party to observe discipline in letter and sprit. "In the party's march from cadre base to mass base party, it has become necessary to imbibe spirit of ideology and discipline. BJP's growth and increasing political influence have become a cause of envy for opponents. The blood of discipline will keep the party health sound," said Shri Naidu.

There is an impression that acts of indiscipline will be condoned. This has done a lot of damage to our organization. Earlier, both our supporters and the people at large admired the BJP as "a party of disciplined leaders and cadres". Even our ideological and political adversaries admitted this. We must live up to the people's expectations and keep up the BJP the image of a 'Party with a difference'.

I have often noticed a tendency within some people in the Party to use the media to air one's grievances. They discuss organizational matters through the media, rather than taking them up in appropriate Party forums. Such acts of indiscipline cause much damage to the Party's image and to its internal cohesion.

To remedy this, we need first of all to strengthen communication within the Party and make the grievance redressal system effective. Our effort should be to nip the problems in the bud, before they become serious. We have to strengthen the system whereby workers and functionaries can air their grievances freely at proper forums and feel satisfied. In cases of gross indiscipline and repeated misconduct, deterrent and demonstrative action will of course have to be taken.

The BJP attaches a lot of importance to informal mechanisms for sorting out problems and preventing indisciplinary acts from being committed. This has always been a part of our organizational ethos. Therefore, I have been emphasizing the fact that there should be some respected seniors in the Party at all levels, to whom functionaries and karyakartas can go and unburden themselves of their grievances. Our Party is fortunate in having such elders at various levels who command the respect of rank-and-file. We need to enrich these informal systems within the Party, even as we strengthen the activities of the Disciplinary Committee."

The meeting took some important decisions.

1. The committee will tour each state, review all the cases pending for disciplinary action, and give directions for their disposal in a time-bound manner.

2. Wherever acts of gross indiscipline are noticed, the committee would initiate pro-active steps for investigation and suitable action, rather than waiting for these cases to be brought before it through the normal channel.

3. The Chairman has written letters to State units of the Party with clear instructions to tone up the working of their disciplinary action committees.

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