THE RATING GAME
BJP rules out war to turn the tide
On the occasion of his government's fourth anniversary on Saturday, PM Narendra Modi, at a rally in Cuttack, launched a media blitzkrieg with a slogan 'Saaf Niyat, Sahi Vikas' (clean intentions, right development) listing out its achievements in a range of areas, including surgical strikes undertaken by the Army across the border with Pakistan in 2016.
Through ads in newspapers, the govt sought to highlight measures it had taken for the poor -- the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), scheme for providing insurance cover at a cheap rate, electrification of four crore households, and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) under which 3.8 crore BPL families were given free LPG connections. He added that his govt was committed to fighting corruption.
He also launched a survey on his app, asking people to rate the performance of BJP-led dispensation and MPs and MLAs in their constituencies and to rate them on the basis of availability, honesty, humility and popularity. The survey enables people to rate the performance of the government and its flagship schemes, sources said. The ruling BJP ruled out the Modi government resorting to war to turn the tide against the Opposition in the Lok Sabha elections. “BJP considers war the last option. However, we have zero tolerance regarding safety of our borders. The most number of terrorists have been killed by BJP government,” BJP President Amit Shah said while enumerating achievements of the BJP-led NDA government at a press conference at the party headquarters here on its completion of four years.
He pointed out that this government exhibited its political will to take on the country’s adversaries, with surgical strikes conducted across the LoC in 2016. Dismissing any threat to NDA from opposition parties coming together, he asserted that the family of NDA is growing to let the government of PM Modi get elected again next year. He said recent reverses of BJP in the recent Lok Sabha by-elections need not set the trend as the voters will vote for who forms the government by keeping in mind who will be the PM-- none except Modi. When told about Telugu Desam Party (TDP) breaking away from NDA on denial of special status to Andhra Pradesh, Shah retorted, “TDP left but Nitish Ji came. Eleven more parties became part of NDA after 2014. Family of NDA has increased, not decreased. Only Chandrababu Ji (Andhra Pradesh CM) left. So what?" What about Shiv Sena severing ties with the BJP? He said, "We want Shiv Sena and BJP to fight together in 2019 elections. Better ask them when they say they won’t contest with us why they are still together in both Central and Maharashtra governments."
Making light of Congress President Rahul Gandhi's statement to be ready to be the PM if his party emerges as the biggest group, Shah said, "It doesn''t matter as to what I think. His party has not supported him when he said he wants to be PM. Neither did Sharad Pawar, nor Mamata nor Akhilesh Yadav." The BJP President also dismissed Rahul''s increasing daily attacks on Modi and the BJP, questioning the government's achievements.On rising fuel prices, Shah assured that all criticism will vanish, once the govt comes out with a long-term solution instead of any kneejerk decisions.