BJP says Opposition 'daydreaming' about 2019: 'No leader, policy or strategy'

New Delhi: Asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve of a “Naya Bharat” (New India) by 2022 will be achieved, the BJP declared Sunday that the Opposition was “daydreaming” about the coming Lok Sabha polls as it “neither has a leader, nor policy, nor strategy”.

In a political resolution passed on the last day of the party’s national executive meeting, the BJP said it will continue to be in power in 2019 as the government is working with a mission of “Sabka saath, sabka vikas” and the Prime Minister has a very high approval rating, something that is unprecedented for a leader after four years in power.

Human resources development minister Prakash Javadekar, who briefed the media about the political resolution moved by Union home minister Rajnath Singh in the meeting, said while the Prime Minister was building an India of “no poverty, casteism, corruption and communalism”, the sole agenda of the “frustrated” Opposition was “roko Modi” (stop Modi). However, the resolution had no message for the party’s core votebank, the upper castes, who have been seething over the recent legislation on the SC/ST Act, or the Opposition, that has been attacking the government over growing fuel prices. The resolution also did not mention the BJP’s core issue, the Ram Mandir, with the party saying that the “matter is sub judice”.

“The BJP will return to power in 2019 with more seats and votes. The Opposition is daydreaming. It neither has a leader, nor policy nor strategy. It only has a negative agenda of stopping Modi and people do not like negative politics,” said Mr Javadekar.

The resolution also said that the Opposition parties are “terribly shaken by the immense goodwill and popularity of our government based on its sheer good work and people-friendly policies. In their desperation for power, the Opposition parties are resorting to various tactics. They neither have a leader who can match PM Modi in stature, nor a programme. Their singular objective is to ‘stop Modi’. They want his vision for New India to be destroyed by any means.”

The resolution highlighted the government’s success in internal security, including complete prevention of terror acts across Indian cities compared to UPA rule, when “bomb blasts” would frequently happen in cities.

The resolution praised the leadership of Mr Modi and party president Amit Shah. “Modi’s charismatic leadership coupled with his vision and passion, combined with Shah’s hard work in building the organisation to extend the BJP’s rule to 19 states... Under the ‘jodi’ (duo) of Modi and Shah, the party has close to 350 MPs and 1,500 MLAs,” said the minister.

On internal security, the resolution said the Naxalism-affected region has shrunk by over two-thirds under BJP rule while the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been lifted from many parts of the Northeast due to the return of peace. The resolution also said that “urban Maoism too is being curbed with an iron hand”, hinting at the recent arrests of alleged Maoist sympathisers.

“A foundation for development cannot be laid without internal security,” it said.

On the economic front, it said India had become the sixth largest economy and GST has boosted revenues, with the people having no problem with it after the government addressed their concerns.

The resolution, however, made no direct mention of the hike in fuel prices over which the Opposition has given a Bharat Bandh call on Monday, or the Rafale deal.

Mr Javadekar, however, said inflation was over 10 per cent under UPA and around five per cent under the Modi government. On caste issues, he said the BJP has always taken decisions keeping in mind the interests of all sections of society.

The resolution also mentioned the controversial UNHRC report on human rights conditions in J&K, which the party termed as “totally biased and factually incorrect, juvenile-sounding report”.

The resolution also mentioned that the “confidence in the Indian economy has increased on account of policy measures taken by the government, as can be seen from many indicators” and said “new fiscal policies have made both India and Indians richer”.

Taking an apparent dig at RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, the resolution said fugitive economic offenders “may remain fugitives for some time, but they have to return, to join their comrades in Ranchi Jail”. The resolution also mentioned how India’s “credibility and respect has increased manifold” globally with Mr Modi being “counted among the top leaders of the world now”.

The resolution said: “Our balanced and sensitive foreign policy is praised from across all corners. This balance is reflected in the fact that we have equidistant relations with Israel and Palestine, with Iran and Saudi Arabia, with USA, China and with Russia.”