Press Briefing Wednesday, 06 May 2009

Shi Ashwani Kumar addressed the media today.

Shri Ashwani Kumar said that the BJP’s blinkered vision of the ground reality of its shrinking political base across the country and its refusal to accept the withering away of the NDA alliance is both comic and ironic. BJP’s self congratulating approach is comic for its self evident absurdity and depressing for its obstinate proclivity to deliberately mislead the country.

Shri Ashwani Kumar said that having sensed certain defeat at the hustlings, BJP is resorting to its old but exposed technique of distorting facts. A party that has lost almost twenty of its once 24 allies because of its pernicious political agenda has repeatedly failed to receive national acceptance and is once again destined to occupy the opposition benches in Parliament as a shrunken party which will fail to reach even the three digit mark. It would surely be shaken from its slumber on May 16th. In any case, BJP’s intoxication through self served falsehoods cannot last any longer.

Shri Ashwani Kumar said that the Indian National Congress along with its allies will give to the country a secular and stable Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh that would carry forward our programme of inclusive development consistent with the aspirations of a young and progressive India. The inclusive politics of Congress and its allies has caught the imagination of our wise electorate, in particular of the youth, farmers, women and the intelligentsia. The 2009 vote will see a crushing defeat of the communal and divisive forces and a decisive assertion of the nation’s secular conscience in this watershed election.

To a question Shri Ashwani Kumar said that with the support of its allies, the Congress party would form a secular Government.

To another question, Shri Ashwani Kumar said that at no cost was the Congress party going to leave its existing allies and the Congress party stands committed to the unity of its pre-poll alliances. The Congress will work with its existing alliance and reach the majority mark he added.

To a further question as to who leaves whom, Shri Ashwani Kumar added that it will be known only after 16th of May 2009 and till then one must not speculate on this. Shri Ashwani Kumar added that with the support of its existing allies, the Congress party would definitely cross the magic figure of 272. He further added that if the need arises, the Congress party would not hesitate to seek the support of some other secular, like minded parties. But at the same time Shri Ashwani Kumar added that such support would not be at the cost of its existing allies.

Shri Ashwani Kumar said that while it was true that Mulayam Singh Yadav, Laloo Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan are fighting elections alone, yet all three of them have repeatedly said that they are a part of the UPA and will support a secular Government and none of them has objected to the candidature of Dr. Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister.

To another question of BJP making a statement today that Shri Rahul Gandhi had insulted the allies of UPA, Shri Ashwani Kumar said that the BJP was an expert at distorting statements. Shri Ashwani Kumar added that nothing in the statement of Shri Rahul Gandhi was disrespectful to the existing allies of the UPA. All that Shri Rahul Gandhi said was that in case there is a need to reach out to other like minded secular parties in order to give this nation a secular and stable government, the Congress party would keep its options open.

To another question on public distribution system, Shri Ashwani Kumar said that all the below poverty line families who were entitled to get the benefit of this scheme were getting it and would continue to get it because that remains the foremost priority of the Congress party.

To another question of some of the allies of the UPA not consenting on Dr. Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister, Shri Ashwani Kumar said that the existing allies of the UPA had never said anything against Dr. Manmohan Singh’s candidature as Prime Minister. They only said that they would sit together after the results are out and would decide over the issue.

On another question whether JD (U), AIADMK and TDP are like minded secular parties, Shri Ashwani Kumar added that the Congress party considers these parties as secular parties in a sense. He said that in his understanding of TDP or AIADMK or JD (U), they would abide by the secular dharma. In fact Nitish Kumar has rejected the Hindutva agenda of the BJP he added. He further added that the Congress party would emerge as the single largest party and would form a secular and stable government at the centre.






(Tom Vadakkan)

Secretary, AICC