Developing state top priority: Advani
Rajeev Khanna
Tribune News Service

Bhimtal, January 24
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani has held his party’s former ally, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), responsible for a separate state of Telangana not becoming a reality.

Addressing an election rally here this afternoon, Advani said the BJP would have gone ahead with the creation of Telangana along with Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand if the TDP leadership had agreed to it.

“I have still told the TDP of our views on the issue. We will create the state when come to power at the Centre,” he said. He added that the people of the region had been airing their demand for a separate state for over four decades.

Advani said: “I have special love for Uttarakhand. We had resolved to create it and I, as the Home Minister, had introduced the Bill for its creation in Parliament,” he said.

Seeking votes for BJP contestant Dan Singh Bhandari on the newly created Bhimtal Assembly seat, Advani, in his short speech, said the BJP was committed towards making Uttarakhand among the most developed states of the country.

He also showered praises on Chief Minister Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri and claimed that his reputation as a union minister was well known. He further said Khanduri had been a honest leader.

“When you cast your vote, you must keep in mind the honesty of the candidate you are voting for. You must also keep in mind who came forward to provide foodgrains at the cheapest rate when the Central Government was unable to control the spiralling prices,” said Advani.

The BJP leader went on a journey into the past stating that he had witnessed every election in the country either as a campaigner or as a contestant. He had also witnessed all governments headed by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to the current one led by Manmohan Singh.

He once again touched the issue of television debates among contestants which was raked up at length by the BJP during its campaign for the last Lok Sabha elections in 2009. “Let their (the Congress) leader come and debate the issues of the state with Khanduri on the television so that the people can see for themselves,” he said, adding that he had been impressed with the idea when he had seen a Presidential debate at the United States embassy between Richard Nixon and John F Kennedy as a scribe.

Before coming to Bhimtal, Advani had addressed poll rallies in support of the BJP candidates in Didihat and Almora.

Gadkari dares Congress to hold debate on development
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 24
With the elections entering a crucial phase in Uttarakhand and political pundits predicting a close election, the BJP laid stress on bringing the issue of development to the fore instead of the very personalised “Khanduri Hai Zaroori” campaign that has now been given a spin by the Congress.

Hammered by Congress Party general secretary Rahul Gandhi who, during a recent rally said “Khanduri isliye zaroori hai kyonki choron ko chhupanna hai”, BJP national president Nitin Gadkari tried to downplay the issue and instead threw a challenge to the Congress to debate with the BJP on development issue.

“I appeal to the Congress to maintain a certain level in their utterings and debate with us on the issue of development. Why did the Congress-led UPA Government put an end to the industrial package that was sanctioned by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee,” he asked media persons today.

He said the BJP governments in nine states had been at the receiving end of the partisan and prejudiced attitude of the UPA. “At least 32 per cent of the population in nine states that has the BJP as the ruling party are facing the brunt of the UPA Government’s step-motherly treatment,” he stressed.

Gadkari tried further to buttress the development claim of the BJP by stating that the party’s vision document also spoke about creating jobs for the youth by focusing on tourism. “We are asking the people to vote for development and continuity under the leadership of B.C. Khanduri,” he said. On the issue of members of Team Anna levelling corruption charges on former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Gadkari said: “There are no charges pending against him in any court of law, or even a report by Lokayukta indicting him.”

Gadkari also lauded Nishank for the successful conduct of the Kumbh Mela and also did not shy away from taking credit for the creation of Uttarakhand. “Though we lost the first state election in 2002, but no one can take the credit away from the BJP for creating Uttarakhand and it is our moral right to raise it,” he reiterated.

Change the govt in Uttarakhand, Rahul tells youth
B.D.Kasniyal

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi addresses an election meeting at Pithoragarh on Tuesday

Pithoragarh, January 24
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today appealed to the youth to come forward to participate in politics and change the present political system of the state according to the needs of the country.

“The present political parties are in no mood to change the system as they get benefit out of this outdated system. Therefore, the youth is the only hope,” said Rahul Gandhi, addressing an election rally here today.

Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the BJP Government of the state by blaming it for corrupt practices in the last five years, including misuse of funds released from the Centre for the development of the state.

“During the last five years, BJP did not feel the need of Khanduri, as the government and its leaders were involved in corruption, but the party now needs Khundari as it has to hide corruption before being ousted from the government this time,” said Rahul.

The Congress general secretary said that the Congress was a party of the poor of the country; it belonged to the poor, the backward classes, Dalits and minorities. It was also against corruption as the ministers

involved in corrupt practices have been jailed in Congress rule. “On the other side, the BJP gave shelter to its corrupt ministers in Karnataka, Punjab and in Uttarakhand and has now given shelter to corrupt ministers of Mayawati,” said the Congress general secretary.

“if I share meals with Dalits at their homes, the BJP people object. But if they create the slogan of ‘India shining’ from AC rooms, they think it in positive tone for the country,” said Rahul.

Rahul Gandhi said that it was the Congress which laid the foundation stone of development in Uttarakhand state as the people believed in it just after the state was carved out. “The party not only established industries in the state to give employment to lakhs of youths from the state but has now approved its linking with railway lines. “On the other hand, the BJP is always busy indulging in corrupt practices,” alleged Rahul.

The Congress general secretary elaborated the achievements of the Congress at the Centre and said that it is the party totally devoted to empower the common people by providing security in their basic needs.

“After waiving Rs 60,000 crore loan of poor farmers of the country and empowering them, the party has brought MNREGA, right to education, and would now bring food security Bill to make the poor of the country free from the basic problems of life,” said the Congress general secretary. 

Why is Rahul mum over graft issue at Centre, asks Anurag 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 24
President of the BJP Youth wing Anurag Thakur yesterday criticised Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for remaining mum on the issue of corruption in the Central government.

Anurag was addressing mediapersons here. He said Rahul Gandhi should explain to the people of Uttarakhand what steps the Congress had taken to curb corruption at the Centre. “Why is he silent on scams hitting the Central government. He should explain why the Congress-led UPA government has failed to pass a strong Lokpal Bill,” said Anurag.

He blamed the Congress for high inflation and said the wrong economic policies pursued by the UPA government were responsible for the rising food prices.

“To provide relief to the people, the BJP government introduced the Atal Khadyan Yojana in Uttarakhand. This has helped the people tide over the price rise,” he said.

He pooh-poohed the Congress’ promise of providing unemployment allowance to the youth of Uttarakhand. 

BJP true well-wisher of Muslims: Shahnawaz
Sandeep Rawat/TNS

Haridwar, January 24
Accusing the Congress for playing with the sentiments of the people of the country, particularly with the minorities by trying to lure them in name of reservation in the OBC quota, former Union Civil Aviation Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain blamed the Congress for exploiting the minorities just for the sake of votes.

Shahnawaz was here on a tour of Haridwar district to campaign for party candidates. Addressing a rally in Muslim-dominated Dhanpura, Haridwar rural segment for party candidate Swami Yatishwaranand, Hussain put forth the BJP as true well-wisher of the Muslims as it didn’t have a hidden agenda, unlike the Congress.

Cornering the Congress for its divisionary tactics, the BJP national spokesperson said despite being at the helm of affairs in the Centre for more than 50 years, the Congress had not been able to bring the minorities to the mainstream development path.

“During the Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance government, the minorities felt most safe, many beneficiary schemes were started and even holy Haz pilgrimage was done for just Rs 12,000. But now the UPA is charging Rs 18,000 and ironically they are talking of upping the reservation quota” said Hussain, MP from the Bhagalpur constituency.

He said in the Congress regime, only Muslims had been ignored, be it in term of education, health or welfare schemes.

Terming Uttarakhand, particularly Haridwar, as an abode of religious-spiritual harmony, Shahnawaz Hussain said the place should also make way for good candidates and urged Muslims to join the BJP in large numbers.

Sidelights
Weather wary BJP coins new slogan

With weather threatening to play truant and the marriage season in full swing, politicians are worried about voter turnout on the day of polling. Keeping this in mind BJP leaders have come out with a new slogan, “Pehle matdan, phir jal paan” (vote first, food later), that senior party leader Lal Krishna Advani often repeated at the rally on Tuesday. The leaders could be heard urging voters to come to the polling booths to cast votes.

A mockery of a speech

Former MP Balraj Passi’s speech at the rally was off the tangent. Perhaps he had forgotten that he was addressing voters of one of the most remote constituencies of the state where the lack of basic facilities was the key issue. Instead, he was heard speaking about international and defence-related issues. This left the listeners wondering. The gathering even did not enjoy his jokes.

Bacchi Rawat back in limelight

After Advani it was Bacchi Singh Rawat who emerged the key speaker at the rally. Rawat had gone into oblivion since his defeat from the Nainital seat in the Lok Sabha poll in 2009. The people of the region had been wondering where he was all this while.

Thin gathering at Advani’s rally

There was a thin gathering at Advani’s rally once again. Earlier, his yatra against corruption too had failed to draw good crowds in Kumaon. A joke among neutral observers at the rally was: “It will not be a surprise if Advani’s helicopter does not land seeing the number of the people at the rally.”

Khanduri most honest politician

Advani today termed Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri as the most honest politician in the country. He said it was due to Khanduri that the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee could successfully complete the modern highways project in the country.

Kaushik seeks blessings of saints
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Madan Kaushik seeks blessings of a saint in Haridwar on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur

Haridwar, January 24
With four days to go before the campaigning for the Assembly elections comes to an end, the candidates are trying all means to attract voters. Be it Cabinet ministers or Independents every candidate is talking to voters politely and humbly and taking blessings of elders.

State Minister for Urban Development Madan Kaushik, who is eyeing a record third win from the Haridwar (City) Assembly seat, today visited various ashrams to seek blessings of saints before addressing a rally on the Ramleela ground.

As saints have a lot of influence over the voters in this seat, the candidates know the importance of their blessings for winning the elections.

The Congress has fielded Satpal Brahamchari, which has made the contest exciting and intense. To counter Satpal, Kaushik, a former Bajrang Dal district chief, today visited the saint-dominated Kankhal region.

As locals were not used to seeing a heavyweight political like Madan Kaushik visiting saints, they were curious to have a glimpse of the minister genuflecting before the saints to seek their blessings. Be it the Vanprasth Ashram, Ramgadh Ashram, Shamshan Ghat and other muths and dharamshalas, Kaushik tried to meet saints and religious gurus.

“Public service is my religion. I don’t seek votes in the name of religion, caste or community as all voters are equal in my eyes. Social service is my prime objective. I never thought of myself being a privileged minister but a simple human being, who has been entrusted with faith by people,” Kaushik told The Tribune.

Ex-servicemen’s body to support Congress
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 24
The Uttarakhand Purv Sainik Avam Ardh Sainik Sangathan has expressed anguish against the BJP government and announced of supporting Congress candidates on most of the seats, barring Harbans Kapoor, BJP candidate for the Cantt seat, Surender Jain of the BJP from Roorkie and Prakash Pant from Pithoragarh.

President of the organisation, Lt-Col Ganga Singh Rawat (retd) extended his support to Lt-General TPS Rawat (retd), president of Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha (URM) Kedar Singh Fonia, rebel BJP leader and now candidate from the URM for Badrinath seat Pushpesh Tripathi, MLA from the Uttarkhand Kranti Dal (P) and Pritam Singh of the UKD (P) for Yamunotri.

He said except these seats, his party would back the Congress on other Assembly constituencies. He, however, said they would oppose Congress candidates in Rajpur and Raipur as well.

The organisation would remain neutral in Rudrprayag and left it on the discretion of ex-servicemen to choose between Independents Luxmi Aggawal and Rakesh Negi from Sahaspur asserting that both candidates were always in touch with people of the area.

Rawat was miffed with the BJP over change of guard, Chief Ministers, in the state government. He also accused the party of indulging in number of scams and plundering the people’s money from exchequer.

He said despite evidence of funds siphoning off in the land grabbing case meant for poor section and village society to the state government, the latter kept mum. He said the state government was equal accomplice in looting the state with the mafia, the bureaucracy and public representatives.

He blamed the government for rendering the Soldier Welfare Ministry and UPNAL spineless.

No action in case of encroachment of land in the name of mother of Rifleman Jaswant Singh, winner of Mahavir Chakra, relentless employment to civilians meant for ex-servicemen and cut down in the health facilities were some of the reasons.