Kargil victory to help BJP in polls — Rajagopal

ALAPPUZHA, JULY 13: BJP national council member and senior leader O Rajagopal has said that the victory of the Indian forces in Kargil wo...

ALAPPUZHA, JULY 13: BJP national council member and senior leader O Rajagopal has said that the victory of the Indian forces in Kargil would help his party post a win in the coming Lok Sabha election.

Participating in a meet-the-press organised by the Alappuzha Press Club on Monday, the BJP leader said that his party had no intention to make Kargil a poll plank. But with the other parties making it an election issue, the BJP has been forced to air its views on the issue and explain the steps taken by its Government to flush out the Pakistan-backed intruders from the Indian land.

Answering to a question, Rajagopal said that the BJP would welcome a probe into the allegation that the Government and the defence intelligence had failed to avert the clash in Kargil sector. “An inquiry will bring out the truth and also the failure of the previous governments in resolving the border issues during their period.”

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The BJP leader claimed that for the first time, India has won the support of the international community as a whole, on the Kashmir issue now. The initiative to introduce bus services from India to Pakistan, helped India in getting the support of the major powers, he said.

He said that in the elections there would be only one issue — who must be made prime minister of the country, Vajpayee or Sonia Gandhi. Rajagopal said that Vajpayee would stage a comeback as the people who are neutral in their political outlook would cast their votes in favour of the BJP.

He criticised the CPM stand to support Sonia in the election and said that the youngsters in the party were unhappy with this decision of the party.