New Delhi, March 21
After her famous breakaway from the BJP and public condemnation of the top BJP brass, the mercurial sanyasin today staged a show of strength in Delhi, ahead of launching her new party next month which she said would be based on core Hindutva ideology.
The expelled BJP leader announced formation of a new party with a new flag and new symbol but with the same ideology and philosophy of the party she was evicted from last December.
Ms Bharti was accompanied in the rally by several former BJP ministers, including Madan Lal Khurana, Sangh Priya Gautam Sanjay Paswan, Tapan Sikdar, Basavarao Patil and Prahlad Patel. Interestingly, INLD leaders Ajay Chautala and Abhay Chautala along with a former Haryana Finance Minister, Prof Sampat Singh, also participated in
the rally. Addressing an impressive rally at Ram Lila Grounds here before embarking on over a month-long “Janadesh Rally”, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister sounded a warning to the BJP by giving an open call, to those leaders in the BJP who are feeling ‘helpless’ within the saffron fold, to march with her with her professed ideology.With posters of Mahatama Gandhi, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Shyama Prasad Mookherjee in the background, Ms Bharti said her party will incorporate the ideologies of these three legends.
Aggressive nationalism and ‘Ram and Roti for all’ would be the ‘basic principles’ of the proposed party, She declared.
“I will be giving a new name to the BJP and a new face to it which has lost its moorings and the age-old beliefs and philosophies it was founded on,” she said.
Ms Bharti, however, said that she would not stake claim on the BJP’s lotus symbol but would launch her party on April 30 in Varanasi with a distinct election symbol.
Flanked by Mr Khurana and Mr Gautam, the fiery sanyasin said the Hindutva she believed in endorses a uniform civil code and respect for Lord Ram by all communities living in India.
Addressing the rally, Mr Ajay Chautala pledged to work in tandem with Ms Bharti for the welfare of the people. “The injustice done to her (Ms Bharti) by the BJP has made her even stronger and I am sure that with her commitment for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden, she will one day address from the Ramparts of the Red Fort,” Mr Chautala said.
Former Delhi Chief Minister and now-suspended BJP leader Khurana disappointed Ms Bharti’s supporters when he said “I am with her...but I can’t say anything now about joining her proposed party...I will hold a meeting with Ms Bharti and her supporters and launch the ‘Save Delhi Front’.
Despite launching a scathing attack on BJP leader L K Advani for cutting short his Chief Ministership in Delhi, Mr Khurana said: "In fact I have come here to use this platform to send a message to the people of Delhi that I will, if needed, die for the welfare and cause of Delhi’ites.”
Meanwhile, the BJP which had already issued a stern warning against any anti-party activity today swiftly expelled Mr Sanga Priya Gautam from the party.
“Indiscipline will not be tolerated....We have suspended Mr Gautam,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told The Tribune.
He maintained that the joining of some of the “frustrated and disgrunted” BJP leaders with Ms Bharti will have no impact on the BJP.
Mr Sanjay Paswan, who joined the RJD after quitting the BJP and today joined hands with Ms Bharti, said “After losing track, I have returned to the right path. In fact, in the past 19 months in RJD, I did not even have an opportunity to exchange 19 words with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.”
