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The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday rejected the possibility of removing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi saying that the nation needed to be saved from "forces whose only aim seems to be to destabilise" the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government.
"I strongly condemn the hue and cry of those who demanded the head of the chief minister of Gujarat. The nation needs to be saved from these forces whose only aim seems to be to destabilise the BJP government, even when the situation demands the cooperation of everyone to restore normalcy in a riot-torn state," party president Jana Krishnamurthy said in his address at the three-day meeting of the BJP national executive.
The BJP president appeared unapologetic over criticism from the opposition and some of the party's allies over the Gujarat chief minister's handling of the communal violence in the state.
"I must mention here that the role of opposition and our critics was not exactly commendable, but on the other hand condemnable. Every time Gujarat faced severe situations, our opponents and critics mounted a severe attack on the state government with an orchestrated voice demanding the head of the chief minister."
"When the people are facing a calamity and when the government is struggling to calm down the situation, the role of opposition should be to strengthen the efforts of all those who are strenuously exerting themselves to contain the situation," he said.
"But their efforts were directed towards demoralising and discrediting those who were carrying out their responsibilities sincerely," he said, giving a clean chit to the Modi government in the presence of top party leaders including Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Home minister Lal Kishenchand Advani.
In a variation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh line that the security of the minority lay in earning the goodwill of the majority, he said: "Every section of society, when it thinks it is whole of the part, must realise that is simply part of the whole. So much so its welfare and well being depends upon those of the entire society."
"If the message can go to everyone in the society that whosoever provokes another, and whoever takes initiative in provoking or attacking another, whatever religion he may belong to as goondaism does not have religion, the state as well as society will come down on him heavily to punish him, then the whole society and everyone in society will remain assured that there is justice rendered to all with no appeasement of anyone," he said.
"I feel this is the only solution to this vexed problem and I appeal to everyone, especially the political parties, social and other organisations and media to ponder over this and cooperate," he said.
Krishnamurthy attacked the Congress and said that its attitude was not conducive to the healthy growth of democracy.
"Whether Congress likes it or not, the Indian electorate has given its verdict in favour of an NDA government at the Centre and made Congress sit in the opposition. This verdict of the electorate must be respected and Congress must learn to respect it."
"As an opposition party it has the right to criticise and attack the government. We do not deny that right. But they are crossing all limits," he said.
He said the BJP's desire was to go in for consensus with the Congress on vital issues like poverty, unemployment and terrorism.
"In the name of the best national interests, I urge the Congress to see reason and cooperate where it can and should. But if the Congress chooses to stick to the path of confrontation, the BJP, in spite of having chosen the path of consensus, is prepared to accept the challenge of Congress in its politics of confrontation," he said.
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