Pro-poor schemes to be focus of national council meet: Madhav

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Kozhikode, September 23

The Bharatiya Janata Party said on Friday that the party would discuss its “pro-poor” programmes at its three-day national council meeting that began in Kozhikode on Friday, even as the recent Uri attack threatened to overshadow the event.

Addressing a press conference, BJP national secretary Ram Madhav said that the meeting would focus on antyodaya programmes, or schemes to uplift the poor.

The Kozhikode national council meeting will provide BJP opportunity to reaffirm faith in the ideology of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, Madhav said.

“The political resolution will focus on the downtrodden of the society. It will be a unique programme with a focus on constructive thinking, devising plants and action programs on the uplift of poor,” he said.

He said atrocities by Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s cadres were the reason for the party success in Kerala. The BJP managed to win one seat in the assembly elections earlier this year.                         

"We are a party of grass root workers. We appreciate the sentiments of cadres," he said in response to queries on the unrest in the cadres over the most recent Uri attack.

Regarding the reports on Russian troops landing in Pakistan, Madhav said: "We will wait and see. A lot of news is going around. Let us see what the real facts are. Many things have happened at a diplomatic level in the past three days." He was responding to a question on whether Russians in Pakistan reflected poorly on India's diplomatic endeavours to isolate Pakistan.

Madhav parried a volley of questions about the party's position on the Uri attack but made it clear that it will be deliberated in the council.

Asked about the "lack of action" despite leaders — including him — making strong comments against Pakistan, he said, "You want only statements or action too? Actions too will keep happening."

As the party faces growing demand from within the party, as well as without, for action against Pakistan over the attack, a key leader of the party maintained that the party appreciated the sentiments in the country and that "action will keep happening" against Pakistan.

Madhav has advocated punitive action against Pakistan.

Soon after the Uri attack, Madhav had spoken about India adopting the policy of "for one tooth, complete jaw", asserting that the days of strategic restraint are over.

Modi, who is scheduled to address a public meeting on Saturday, is expected to speak on the Uri incident.

Eighteen soldiers died when some gunmen attacked an army camp in north Kashmir's Uri on Sunday. (With inputs from Agencies)