Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A day after BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu’s chopper was set on fire by CPI-ML (Maoist) extremists at Pararia village in Gaya district, party president L.K. Advani today launched BJP’s campaign in Ranchi.
Despite the rain, the turnout at the rally was more than 10,000. Advani was accompanied by party national general secretary Rajnath Singh and candidates from Ranchi, Khijri and Hatia C.P. Singh, Karia Munda and M.M. Agrawal respectively.
Urging people to vote for BJP again, Advani said he often visited different states for work, ‘‘but whenever I go to Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand, I feel good because its creation is linked with the fulfilment of the party’s promise’’.
Earlier, addressing mediapersons, the BJP chief called upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ‘‘review’’ the Government’s approach in tackling Naxalite violence. ‘‘He (the PM) should immediately call a meeting with chief ministers of Naxal-hit states and also talk to Opposition parties,’’ he added.
Advani recalled a meeting of the CMs of Naxal-affected states in 1999 at Hyderabad, where a co-ordination committee headed by the Home secretary, with his counterparts from the states and their DGPs, was set up. The panel had resolved to meet every three months to take stock of the situation. ‘‘But the UPA Government has its own agenda and it sought to have a dialogue with the Naxal groups…We are not against a dialogue but we want that they give up arms and place their problems across the table’’.
Later, at the party office, Naidu alleged that the Bihar Police reached the spot where his helicopter was set ablaze after two hours. He also demanded security for the person who helped him, fearing that he may be killed.
