Press
Briefing Monday, 4th January 2010
Shri
Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media today.
Shri Abhishek Singhvi said that first of all very a
Happy New Year at this briefing in the New Year and warm
welcome to all of you for your happiness, prosperity and
good wishes in this New Year.
Shri Abhishek Singhvi said that the contrasts cannot be
more stark and more clear between the ruling party and
the ruling party coalition and the main principal
opposition as we look over the last 12 months. My
colleague has touched upon some of the broad
achievements of the last year but what I want to
emphasize before you is the starkness of the contrast.
On the one hand you have the politics of development,
the politics of constructive action of inclusiveness to
leave the clear stand of the strong bold India. On the
other, you have the stark contrast of the politics of
division. The politics of Yatras - to yet another
proposed by the eternal Yatri - the supposed current
‘Bhisham Pitamam’ of BJP Mr. LK Advani. The politics of
personal competitive ambition – if you look at this very
quickly at the level of electoral verdict, at the level
of party work and at the level of governance.
Shri Singhvi said that at the political verdict level
you have seen over the last year that barring a
so-called success in Jharkhand, the BJP has been in the
doldrums and will remain in the doldrums. This is not
only the States as diverse as Andhra Pradesh, Haryana,
Arunachal Pradesh have returned the Congress party not
the first but second and sometime third time. But
equally that there has been a true recognition of the
sincerity of attempt by the Congress led Governments.
Even where we might not have achieved the results but
the sincerity of purpose is undoubted. At the party
level, a revolution is going on - which some of us stand
not to notice – the membership drive at both the NUSI
and the Youth Congress progressing apace and even in the
Congress although slower but the commitment is there,
the focus is there, the purpose is there and good
intention is there.
Shri Singhvi further said that in Jharkhand if we
wanted, we could have formed the Government. We said
‘No’ from the position of strength, from the position of
principle and from the position of commitment. In
governance, the kind of unprecedented new initiatives
being taken were never even thought of or talked about
neither in 1998 to 2004 nor when the BJP was in
opposition. The initiative in delivery system in a whole
host of law reform to expedite cases, to solve barrier
and in a whole host of national security initiatives. At
the logistic level, internal security, Naxal issue
level, terrorism level and logistic equipment level. In
education, I am not here to describe to you the results
which are still in the pipeline and will definitely
come, but I am here to describe the fact of sincerity of
purpose. And in contrast to all this, as I said, you
have two striking features of contemporary politics as
the last year draws to a close and new year ushered in.
The two striking features are the declaration of yet
another ‘Yatra’ by a ‘Rath Yatri’ whose ambition knows
no bounds who has always been the eternal prime minister
and would in waiting. We only hope and trust that this
is not yet again a journey of vendetta, of division, of
creating discord. Perhaps one day the ‘Rath Yatri’ will
start thinking of a ‘Yatra’ of healing, of joining and
not of dividing or perhaps yet it is another ‘Yatra’ to
sing praises of Jinnah. The other feature, as somebody
said, imitation is the best form of flattery and we are
flattered to find that the BJP - the principal
opposition - has suddenly discovered the virtues of
inclusiveness. There is of course one Mr. Advani –
talking of Rath Yatras – but the New President of the
BJP has suddenly discovered the virtues of
inclusiveness. Well, even if in an imitated form, even
if in a copy book style, if they can think of doing some
good to the nation by following Congress policies or
approach. We can only be happy for the country and for
the ‘Aam Aadmi’. But the real point, which I wish to
make is, that this stark contrast in governance, in
politics, in development has been an inherit feature of
this country where it is the Congress and the Congress
alone, despite occasionally failing, to have shown the
sincerity of purpose and commitment and never has been
this truer than the preceding year which has just ended.
On the question of response of the Congress party to
creation of Telengana and whether the same principle
will apply to other States also where there are demands
of separate States; Shri Singhvi said that tomorrow is
not today. You have to wait. The object is very clear.
It is to first elicit, understand and then absorb
whatever consensus and view exist at the most diverse
widest multi-party forum possible and that process is
being started in right earnest and sincerity tomorrow.
What its outcome will be and what will be its actual
content, obviously you will have to wait not only
tomorrow but likely there may be some more meetings but
again the foundation of the exercise is to elicit views
and generate, if possible, a consensus so that a
harmonious result can be achieved.
Shri Singhvi further said that it will be unrealistic to
fix a time frame or deadline for the same and added that
this is a process not a point. Tomorrow’s meeting is
confined to Telengana only and it should not be linked
to any other State. Shri Singhvi said that these are not
the matters which can be discussed before TV cameras
since these are very sensitive matters. The process is
of consensus.
Shri Singhvi said that it only means that the congress
wants to evolve a consensus whether this way or that way
and it is for those people who are in the meeting to
decide.
Tom Vadakkan
Secretary, AICC
