BJP needs minority votes, says Bakht

8220;The BJP will oppose it if secularism is construed to mean anti-Hindu8221;8217;, he said. 8220;It8217;s unfortunate that Muslims have come around to the BJP8217;s ideology very late. But they must explain why they are with the Congress.8221;

Asked if he thought the Dangs attacks and the Staines murders would push the Christian vote away from the BJP, Bakht admitted that the community was annoyed with his party. 8220;But reports placed before Parliament indicate the BJP had nothing to do with the violence8221;, he hastened to add.

Coming down heavily on the Congress and its leadership, Bakht questioned how an 8220;unstable8221; party could provide stable government. 8220;It is the extreme political indiscipline of Sonia Gandhi that is responsible for the party8217;s problems8221;, he said.

8220;Sonia is attempting to continue dynastic rule. But dynasties and democracies cannot go together8221;, Bakht said. 8220;Moreover, she became eligible for Indian citizenship when she married Rajiv Gandhi. Why did she take so long to become one?8221;

While questioning her political experience, he said, 8220;If she wins from either seat, however, she will have to be accepted in Parliament.8221;

After the protracted tirade against Sonia, Bakht said instead of going into personalities, the elections should focus on the desi-videsi issue, Kargil and the economy. Without naming the Congress, he said, 8220;It is poor patriotism that refuses to participate in the Kargil success.8221;

So far as the Intelligence lapses that allowed the Kargil issue to blow up are concerned, Bakht said, 8220;Lapses have been there; they will continue to happen. Even during the Chinese aggression, India lost certain territories. How come no one questioned Nehru then? Why are people questioning us now?8221;

On the economy, he said in the last Assembly elections, the Congress had raised the issue of the onion price rise. 8220;But why doesn8217;t it mention that inflation has fallen or that the GDP has increased?8221;, he asked. 8220;Moreover, India has not been affected by the S-E Asian meltdown.8221;

On public sector undertakings, Bakht said of the 234, 104 were in non-working conditions. 8220;The Government is winding up 10 non-working PSCs. But we stand by the disinvestment of IPCL. And BHEL is doing well.8221;

In conclusion, he said, 8220;Basically, India is not poor. It is the policy of the last 50 years that has made it so.8221;