Opinion The BJP’s job

The editorial says that “the party cannot be strengthened by ignoring dedicated workers and giving importance to the people who make rounds to party leaders.” It then comes to the point: “Factionalism among leaders weakens the organisation of any party… A party cannot advance towards the goals for it was formed if prominent leaders spend their energy pulling one another’s leg for the sake of their ego or self-interest of their groups.”

“People,” says Panchajanya,“are looking to the BJP with hope and confidence because of its background and values. Its leadership has the capacity to accept this challenge and fulfill the aspirations of people. The party only needs to position itself in this role.”

Hiding from RTI

In an editorial titled ‘UPA has much to hide. Hence it now wants to weaken RTI’,the English weekly Organiser says,“The UPA’s discomfiture is understandable,considering the fact that it has come to be regarded as the most corrupt regime ever in India’s history.” The weekly goes on to allege that notwithstanding the RTI,the government “has been been successful in keeping under wraps most of its misdeeds… It was at a time when the CBI was being brazenly misused — to settle political scores and benefit the ruling party by undermining investigations on friendly political and corporate entities — that it was taken out of the RTI ambit.”

The editorial recalls that “there was a time” when the UPA used to showcase the RTI as a great instrument of empowerment of the common people. “If it was such a bountiful gift from the ruler to the voter — why is the ruling party now trying to snatch it away? …It only exposes the soft underbelly of the corrupt regime,” the weekly adds.

RSS for Anna

‘Positive signals from Anna movement’ is the headline of an article by the RSS pracharpramukh,Manmohan Vaidya. “The campaign coined its own metaphor and has left its own lessons that could serve as reference points for the future,” he says. Many people,according to him,often said of the new generation that it was only interested in three “Fs — films,Facebook and fashion” and bothered little about politics. “Anna’s campaign brought these very youngsters out on the streets,armed with the Tricolour,shouting Bharatmata ki jai,quietly underlining a non-violent show of their strength.” In Vaidya’s view,“The campaign also revealed that when a parliamentary democracy stops understanding popular sentiments and turns apathetic towards the needs of its people,people’s power can show the way,forcing an apathetic government to listen to people’s emotions.”

The article refers to the RSS Pratinidhi Sabha resolution in March 2011 calling upon all Indians to support and participate in anti-corruption campaigns and adds: “Accordingly,the swayamsevaks throughout the country had supported an participated in all anti-graft campaigns,including the one led by Anna.”