Author: Prafull Goradia
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: June 21, 2004
A former MP's open letter to Vajpayee
Sir,
Your blaming the unfortunate riots
in Gujarat for our defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections is wrong. Your
remarks in Manali on June 13 and 14 have hurt every self-respecting Gujarati
because they damage the fair name of his state, which he considers to be
a crown jewel of Bharat Mata. When critics or opposite benches run down
Gujarat, it is unkind, but when our supreme leader criticises the state,
it's cruel.
In December 2002, well after the
riots, the BJP won 126 Assembly seats out of 182; then the party went on
to win three bye-elections. A year later, our party had near-landslide
victories in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The leaders were
popular and the entire parivar put its shoulder to the wheel, and we won.
For the Lok Sabha elections, our
campaign was led by three leaders namely, Atalji, Vajpayeeji, and yourself.
We had risen to power on the ladders of Ayodhya and Kargil. Yet, we discarded
the former to the backburner. In pursuance of the latter, you went chasing
the goodwill of the Pakistanis who had masterminded the cunning attack.
You declared that you preferred Bhartiyata to Hindutva, which was the cradle
of your political birth and rise.
We, the workers, were confused.
The cadres were soon confounded when you began displaying a green pugree.
To us, who were brought up on saffron, your change appeared sacrilegious.
Then came what sounded like a fatwa from the Shahi Imam. Yet, we all continued
to campaign. But by the time we could recover our equilibrium, the polling
was over. Our 183 seats were reversed to 138.
I would therefore request you to
either retract or regret your remarks. Do not precipitate a split in the
Hindutva movement and do not cause the formation of a Hindu party. Remember,
there is no party today that voices the collective Hindu will.
