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Cong. coming closer to BJP ideology: Naidu

By Our Staff Correspondent

RAIPUR JAN. 31. The Bharatiya Janata Party president, Venkaiah Naidu, today said that the Congress was coming closer to the BJP ideology with at least three Chief Ministers obviously changing their tone. "Whether these changes are genuine or just posturing for the coming elections, remains to be seen.''

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Naidu said though the Congress was adopting the BJP agenda people would support only the genuine party promoting Hindutva and reject the fake one. Citing three examples, Mr. Naidu said that the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi, had suddenly become a `Ram Bhakt', making an overt reference to the recently concluded Ramayan Mela at Rajnandgaon. "His counterpart in Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, had found solace in `Ram Katha' and has started attending `pravachans' by learned people, and the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, has demanded a ban on cow slaughter,'' he said, wondering whether they had taken permission from the party president.

Mr. Naidu said that Mahatma Gandhi, had great respect for Hindutva and had demanded a ban on cow slaughter, it was the Congress that had nothing in this direction though they were in power for 45 years. "Mahatma Gandhi had great respect for Hindutva and Congress is blatant in showing its disregard for the concept,'' Mr. Naidu said while criticising the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, for her statement made yesterday that the assassins of Mahatma Gandhi were killing his ideology also. Accusing Ms. Gandhi of adopting double-standards on disinvestments, Mr. Naidu said that the process had been initiated during the Congress-rule when they sold off minority shares of BPCL, GAIL and Maruti Udyog Limited though the sales did not fetch the right price for the Public Sector Undertakings.

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