BJP president Rajnath lambasts UPA Government for price rise

New Delhi, Feb 22 (UNI) BJP President Rajnath Singh today lambasted the UPA Government for the sharp rise in prices of commodities as well as a ''spurt in terrorist activities as evidenced by the recent Samjhauta Express blasts.'' Addressing a public meeting organised to protest the escalating price rise by the Delhi Pradesh BJP at Vikas Marg in East Delhi, Mr Singh said, ''the UPA Government has failed on every front including price rise and terrorism.'' He said in this government's tenure, not a single place in India was safe.

''Due to the policy of appeasement, the Congress has endangered external security. The policies of this Government are anti-people and are leading to the harassment of the public''.

He claimed that during the NDA's rule, the people had 'forgotten' their ration cards as prices were under control and the rate of national development had crossed 8 per cent for the first time.

Cooking gas, oil, fuel and all the articles of daily use also were easily available.

''This Government does not want to curb prices. If the Government desires, it can curb them within a week, but it is not doing so due to vested interests.'' he claimed.

He said because of the government's failure to hang Parliament attack convict Afzal, incidents like the Samjhauta Express blasts took place and the morale of the terrorists was high.

''The security forces are demoralised,'' he said.

Addressing the gathering, BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra said, ''even after making several promises, the Congress Government has neither been able to curb the price spiral nor control terrorists. The people want to get rid of this Government.'' BJP Delhi Pradesh President Harsh Vardhan demanded that the Government issue a white paper on price spiral.

''The Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister and the Commerce Minister are simply expressing their concerns on the price spiral. The claim of the Government that it has taken concrete steps to curb price rise has proved to be hollow,'' Dr Harshvardhan said.

He called upon the people of Delhi to rout the Congress in the MCD elections and in the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections.

Those who addressed the gathering included Prof Jagdish Mukhi, Anita Arya, Lal Behari Tiwari, Ram Bhaj, Abdul Rasheed, Neera Shastri, Pawan Sharma, Shyam Lal Garg and office bearers and senior leaders.

UNI