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Journalism of Courage
BJP chief M. Venkaiah Naidu today stood by Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy and ruled out any action against him in the hotel-bill controversy. He also warned the Congress against demanding an apology from the BJP over Bofors issue.
‘‘The hotel-bill issue has been blown out of proportions,’’ he said at a meeting of ministers and functionaries at his residence, which was attended by DPM L.K. Advani.
‘‘I favour a simple living, but no hotel should have tariff rates as high (as Hotel Taj Exotica),’’ Naidu remarked. Advani advised senior leaders to go for an ‘‘aggressive but decent’’ campaign. He said the BJP was ‘‘proud of the achievements of the Vajpayee Government and the party campaign should be development oriented’’. ‘‘Be aggressive, but remain decent and dignified,’’ Advani said.
The issue of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin also came up. ‘‘We are in principle of the view that high offices like that of the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Chief Justice of India should be occupied only by original Indian citizens. However, this is not an election issue for us because there is no one in front of us (for the post of the PM),’’ Naidu said.
Picking on the Congress demand for an apology from the PM over Bofors, Naidu asked: ‘‘Have they obtained apologies from those who are in Sonia’s company — V.P. Singh and leaders of the CPI(M), Samajwadi Party and RJD?’’
His open ‘‘advice’’ to Congress spokesperson S. Jaipal Reddy was: ‘‘Think, before you open your mouth. Recall what you had said earlier.’’
