BJP deliberates on organisational matters

New Delhi, Oct 26 (UNI) A meeting of the national office bearers of the BJP today discussed various organisational matters, including the the tussle within the Gujarat unit, national security, plight of farmers besides taking stock of other raging issue like Special Economic Zones (SEZ).

Emerging after an over two-hour meeting senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said the meeting discussed issues concerning organisation where party President Rajnath Singh issued a fiat that the organisational elections in the states should be concluded by November 15.

Mr Naidu who is also heading the party panel on controversy arising out of setting up of SEZs across the country, said he apprised the party functionaries of the intricacies of the issue.

He said the BJP was not against the concept of SEZ as such but was opposed to the manner in which the UPA government had handled the issue and in its overdrive declared even ''a tiny 10 hectare plot as SEZ'' which had created needless controversies.

SEZs are required to promote exports and investments but they must not pose a threat to farmers' livelihood or create food scarcity or create competition for the domestic industries. This may put the indigenous industry on an unequal footing as normal local laws are not applicable in these zones.

There were also instances of using the SEZs as cover-ups to promote real estate interests.

He said the panel had sought the office bearers' views on the issue upto November 3 so that it could finalise its report by November 10.

The meeting was also attended by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi. The leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani could not attend due to a meeting with visiting Maldives Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed.

Mr Naidu discounted the tendency in the media to read too much about the presence or absence of people at the meeting. Mr Advani, he reminded only yesterday attended the meeting at BJP headquarters on SEZ and ''we are in live contact with all leaders and there is no scope for any speculations''.

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