Report

AICC DIARY

1st Session of 14th Lok Sabha

2.06.2004 : Shri Satyavrat Chaturvedi briefed the Press.

Shri Satyavrat Chaturvedi welcomed the media on the first day of the first session of the 14th Lok Sabha.

He said that in accordance with the democratic traditions, the electorate of this country has given its mandate and placed, those who were in the Opposition, today in the saddle of power, and those who were in power, have been given a mandate to work in the Opposition. We realise the seriousness and gravity of the mandate. Accordingly we have given a final shape to Common Minimum Programme of the UPA. We are determined to follow this Common Minimum Programme. All the partners of the UPA shall endeavour to give the benefits of the Common Minimum Programme to the people.

Shri Chaturvedi said that our priorities are given in detail in the Common Minimum Programme. His Excellency, the President, while addressing the first session will enumerate the policies and programmes of the Government. He pointed out that interests of the farmers and workers are the top priority in our programme. Generation of employment, education and health are the main points in our Common Minimum Programme. To strengthen the economy and to bring about the growth rate at 7 to 8 per cent will be our priority.

Obstructive Behaviour

09.06.2004 : Shri Anand Sharma briefed the Press.

Shri Anand Sharma said that it is clear from the continued obstructive and destructive behaviour of the BJP and NDA allies preventing any discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the address of the Hon. President of India that they are not reconciled with the verdict of rejection by the Indian people. The BJP leadership is also scared of discussion on the floor of both the Houses, because they know that the debate during the first session after the constitution of the 14th Lok Sabha will also highlight their acts of commission and omission as well as their failures. Today they are raising hullabaloo about the inclusion of certain Ministers, but they know their true face, which was pockmarked by scams and scandals, and which is known to the people of the country, would come to the fore. Therefore, the only inference, which we can draw from the conduct of the BJP and NDA leaders preventing discussion, is reflection of their characteristic of double-speak and double standard.

Names Approved

11.06.2004 : Shri Anand Sharma briefed the Press.

Shri Anand Sharma informed the media that the Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, has approved the names of Congress candidates for ensuing biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils.

Shri Anand Sharma said that the leadership of the BJP and NDA continue to indulge in personalised attacks and the use of language, which had been strongly disapproved by the people of this country, as, was reflected in the verdict of the 14th Lok Sabha elections. From this it is also clear that the leadership of the BJP and NDA have not been able to digest with humility the verdict delivered by the people of their rejection. Their arrogance, as they were when in power, shows that they live in a state of collective self-delusion. After losing power, they are showing lack of respect for Parliamentary democracy from day one and are on the path of confrontation.

Contradictory Statement

14.06.2004 : Shri Satyavrat Charuvedi briefed the Press.

Shri Chaturvedi said that the statement of the former Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, with regard to the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Narendra Modi, is surprising, welcome and more confusing. It is more confusing for the very fact that it was Mr. Vajpayee, who, a week back, when confronted with some questions, did not find Shri Modi’s administration and Gujarat riots being responsible for the BJP’s electoral debacle. Shri Modi was also invited for the election campaign in his election Constituency. It is also a fact that including the BJP National President, Shri Venkaiah Naidu, along with the RSS Chief, Shri Sudarshan, VHP Office Bearers, Shri Giriraj Kishore and Shri Praveen Togadia, differed with the statement of Shri Vajpayee. This very clearly shows that there is internal contradiction and confrontation within the BJP. It is also evident from the fact that a few days ago MLAs in Gujarat revolted against Modi’s leadership. All this has further compounded the confusion among the people in this country.

BJP Reaping What They Sowed

16.06.04 : Shri Satyavrat Charuvedi briefed the Press.

Shri Chaturvedi informed the media that the Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, has condoled the death of victims of the train accident today and has expressed the hope that those who have been injured will soon recover.

Shri Chaturvedi said that the so-called cultural organisations of the RSS and their Office-bearers have transcended all limits of decency in the verbal duel that has been ensuing during the last two days between them and the BJP leadership. The expression and the language that is being used have exposed the claim of the BJP and the RSS of being a disciplined party and organisation. Despite being a political adversary, even the Congress may have never used such insulting language and expression against the BJP leaders. Before and during the election campaign, it should be recalled that the BJP leaders had been making derogatory and indecent remarks with regard to Congress leaders. And today, the BJP leadership is reaping what they themselves had sown and promoted in their party. We have information from reliable sources that because of the language used by the BJP leaders, Shri Advani and Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee have threatened to keep themselves away from the BJP politics.

Amusing And Misleading

23.06.2004 : Shri Anand Sharma briefed the Press.

Shri Anand Sharma said that the deliberations and resolutions at the BJP’s National Executive meetings are amusing and misleading as far as the people of the country are concerned. It is a characteristic double-speak and double standard of the BJP. It shows that it has not yet been able to accept the verdict against it with humility as is expected in democracy. Perhaps they need to be reminded that unlike them, the people of India do not suffer from a selected loss of memory. An alliance, which had 312 seat strength in the 13th Lok Sabha, for them to have come to around 184, if that is not a national rejection, then what other definition there could be in any democracy?

The BJP has today talked of going back to the basics and uses different words to describe what those basics are. This is not going to confuse the people. The BJP as a political party and as a political front of the RSS today stands exposed and rejected. They are once again conveying to the people that because they have been rejected, they would fall back on the divisive agenda – an agenda that can only inject conflict and division in the society. We are sure that they shall not succeed.

The BJP’s criticism of the UPA and the statement on the existence of two centres of power is mischievous, unwarranted and misleading. To oversee and to monitor the implementation of the CMP, the National Advisory Council has been set up. It is an official body of the Government, since the CMP has been adopted as the official programme of the Union Government. The Chairman of the National Advisory Council is the Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, who has also been chosen as the leader of the UPA Coordination Committee. It is an official Committee of the Government of India. CMP is the official programme of the Government of India. Because the National Advisory Council and its Chairperson will see that commitments made by the Congress and its Allies are fulfilled, it only reflects the sincerity of the intent and the commitment.

Blue Print of Action Plan

25.06.2004 : Dr. Abhishek Singhvi briefed the Press.

Dr. Abhishek Singhvi said that the Government speaking through the Prime Minister has laid out a preliminary blueprint of its programme for action of its plans. We are extremely happy to note that the principal concerns and considerations, which were voiced by us, by the Congress and by several other secular parties during the election campaign, led by Smt. Sonia Gandhi have found primacy in that programme of action. You will remember that special focus during the campaign, during the Jan Sampark and during our Press interaction with the media were on employment, agriculture, on efforts as to how to grow the size of the cake, and how to ensure its fair distribution. Those were the concerns with which we went to the people and sought their vote. Those are the concerns, which are now happily under implementation and are being translated into reality.

Panchsheel Anniversary

28.06.2004 : Shri Anand Sharma briefed the Press.

Shri Anand Sharma said that this day marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Panchsheel Agreement between India and China. The Panchsheel was signed by the then Indian Prime Minister, late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and the then Chinese Premier, late Shri Chou En-lai. This has a historical significance and contemporary relevance. This occasion is being appropriately commemorated in both the countries. Today’s address by the Chinese Prime Minister, Shri Wen Jiabao in Beijing and by the Indian External Affairs Minister, Shri K. Natwar Singh is reiteration by both the countries of the historic significance of the Panchsheel Agreement. Abiding by the principle of Panchsheel is an expression by both countries of the desire to improve relations. The Indian National Congress is also committed to ensure that the spirit of Panchsheel is not only preserved, but is also strengthened further.

Tom Vadakkan,
Media Secretary