BJP to launch II phase of agitation against UPA govt from Mar 23

New Delhi, Feb 24 (UNI) The BJP today announced the second phase of its nationwide campaign to highlight the UPA government's failure in checking price rise, farmers suicide, terrorism, national security and against the divisive vote bank politics of the ruling combine from March 23.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of BJP office bearers who met here under the chairmanship of party president Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said.

The meeting was attended by all office bearers and senior leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Leader of Opposition L K Advani and former party presidents.

In his brief intervention, Mr Advani said UPA was becoming unpopular because of its style of functioning and also due to a series of mistakes it committed in handling crucial issues. This has made the situation conducive for the BJP to reap political benefits, he added. Mr Vajpayee endorsed Mr Advani's views.

The leaders also held a lengthy discussion on Special Economic Zones and the issue of land acquisition for private industry and not for public cause. Mr Singh set up a committee headed by Mr Naidu to give an indepth report on the issue and discuss the matter with the Chief Ministers of the BJP-ruled states as land acquisition is an issue related to state.

Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, Mr Gopinath Munde, Mr Saheb Singh Verma and Mr Kirit Somayya were among the other members of the panel.

Mr Naidu along with senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi, Mr Sinha, Mr Munde and BJP Kisan Morcha head Vinod Pande will depose before the Planning Commission and spell out the party's line of thinking on the SEZ land acquisition issue.

Sharply criticising the management of the economy by Dr Manmohan Singh and his team, Mr Naidu said this ''dream team'' of the UPA had turned out to be a ''horror team'' where farmers, caught in the debt trap, were commiting suicides and the consumers were paying a very high price for essential commodities.

Petroleum prices in the world market had reduced by 33 per cent while the prices in the domestic market had been brought down by only four per cent, he said.

He said during the last three budgets, the UPA had become a 'high tax government' and the sectors which grew at a fast rate, had slowed down and are suffering.

Housing loans had become costly, pinching the common man, Mr Naidu said.

The quality of governance and leadership was 'uninspiring' and UPA allies were snubbing every policy of the government, he said.

The regional partners were browbeating the government into submission and the Centre was tolerating each and every insult just to remain in power, he added.

The BJP, Mr Naidu said, was of the opinion that the ''farcical government'' cannot last long and there was a revulsion within the UPA. Nationalist Indians were 'revolting' against the UPA's policies on national security and the common man against the mismanagement of the economy, he added.

UNI