Advani defends BJP accusations against Pratiba during polls

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, July 24 (UNI) Defending the charges levelled by the NDA against President-elect Pratibha Patil during the campaign, Leader of the Opposition L K Advani today maintained that BJP was not apologetic at all and the issues, raised by it, would continue to be as relevant in the time to come as they were before.

"The outcome of the election does not in the least diminish their importance to India's polity," Mr Advani asserted, while addressing the concluding session of the two-day National Executive of the BJP Yuva Morcha here.

He said, in fact, the issues raised by them had provoked all right-thinking people of the country to seriously debate about the choice made by the UPA leadership which "has shown callous disregard towards keeping the office of President away from the suspicion of any kind of taint." The senior BJP leader exhorted the youth to raise a powerful voice for probity in politics and governance, taking strong exception to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remark that the outcome of the election was UPA's victory over "divisive forces". "I wish he did some honest introspection on the serious issues that were highlighted by the media," Mr Advani said.

Reassuring that the party would show due respect to the office of the President of India, he said that ,for BJP, the sanctity of the country's highest constitutional office was more important than the person who had been elected to occupy it.

Mr Advani said the UPA candidate had won because of majority the alliance enjoyed in the electoral college. If the general public had been given the opportunity to "give their preference" they would have certainly rejected the choice of the ruling coalition, he added without naming Mrs Pratibha Patil.

Moreover, he said, the UPA's victory had only highlighted how "chaotic" was the decision-making process in the alliance.

He clarified that the NDA's campaign was not against any particular individual but against the UPA's indifference towards issues of corruption and criminalisation. He also spoke about the ''tainted'' ministers in the Manmohan Singh's cabinet.

The time has come to wage a determined battle against this kind of "politics of cynicism", Mr Advani said, calling upon the people, particularly the youth, to raise their voice against "evils of corruption and criminalisation that are plaguing our polity and disfiguring our democracy.'' UNI

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