BJP TODAY

February 16--28, 2005 - Vol. 24, No. 4

Atalji calls Congress action
in Goa a "wake-up call"

Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, the venue of many a mass protest for national and people's issues in the years and decades gone by, once again wore the look of defiance and struggle on February 8. This is where the BJP, along with its partners in the NDA, staged a massive dharna to mark its 'Save Democracy, Remove Jamir' campaign. Not since Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee went on a heroic, and quickly successful, indefinite fast to protest against the then UP Governor Shri Romesh Bhandari's arbitrary action of sacking of the Kalyan Singh government and installing Shri Jagdambika Pal as the chief minister in 1998, has the national capital witnessed such a determined campaign in defence of democracy.

Once again, it was Shri Atalji who led the Party's campaign against the "midnight coup" in Goa engineered by Governor Shri S.C. Jamir. His speech at the conclusion of the day-long dharna, delivered in his characteristic soft style, carried such a strong note of warning to the arrogant leadership of the Congress party that it is bound to set the tone for the coming stand-off between democracy and authoritarianism.

Shri Atalji minced no words in describing the Congress high command's power-grab in Panaji, effected through a compliant governor, as "shameless". Calling it an "alarm bell" for all democracy-loving people in the country, he said it is "an advance indication of the coming crisis." ("Yeh aanewaali sankat ki poorva soochana hai.") The question he posed - "Whose turn will it be after Goa?" - encapsulated the wider significance of the recent ominous developments in Panaji.
Seated on the dais were BJP President Shri L.K. Advani, NDA Convenor Shri George Fernandes, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Shri Jaswant Singh, and the person at the centre of the storm, Shri Manohar Parrikar. The presence of the four BJP chief ministers - Shri Narendra Modi, Dr. Raman Singh, Shri Babulal Gaur and Smt. Vasundhara Raje - at the dharna showed their strong solidarity with Shri Parrikar and his colleagues in Goa.

The large assembly of people who participated in the dharna heard rousing speeches by Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Prof. Vijaykumar Malhotra, Shri S.S. Ahluwalia, Shri Madanlal Khurana, Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Dr. Harsh Vardhan and other BJP leaders.

The NDA leaders who participated in the dharna were Shri Brijkishore Tripathi and Shri B.J. Panda (BJD), Shri Sukhbir Singh Badal (Akali Dal), Shri Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool Congress) and Shri P.C. Thomas (IFDP).

Shri Atalji made a timely appeal to the non-Congress parties in the UPA - especially to those whose support has propped up the UPA government. "The brazenness with which the Congress party has dismissed a democratically elected government in Goa, one which had proved its majority on the floor of the House, and installed its own government, should make them think seriously about the shape of things to come. "All have been forewarned about the manner in which the Congress wishes to establish its hegemony."

He pointed out that the illegal action of the Goa Governor has been flayed by numerous constitutional experts, "including by those who do not otherwise support our Party."

The former Prime Minister ended his speech by declaring, "The Congress party has thrown a challenge at us, and we have accepted it. We shall educate the people and rouse public opinion through a sustained nationwide campaign."

Earlier in the day, the dharna began with an inspiring speech by Shri Advaniji, who said, "This is a grave challenge not only to the BJP but to the entire system of parliamentary democracy. Our Party, along with all the democracy-loving people in the country, are going to give a fitting reply to the forces of authoritarianism."