Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, who hitherto desisted from responding to criticism by the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, on Friday launched a counterattack, although without naming him, for allegedly thinking that he was bigger than the party. They also tried to instil confidence among party workers at a time when he has announced that he will quit the party.
Participating in a special meeting of the party’s Bangalore city unit at Bangalore Palace Grounds, State party general secretary and Minister C.T. Ravi said: “Those who think that they are bigger than the party should know that it is because of the party that they have got a glorious identity. Such people have become leaders and occupied important positions only because the party workers have carried them on their shoulders for decades.”
In an obvious reference to Mr. Yeddyurappa’s plans to launch a new political outfit, he said, “Anybody who tries to continue in politics by ditching you (party workers) cannot have a bright future. This is the truth that one will realise on introspection.”
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Mr. Ravi sought to substantiate his point through a story in which residents of a village keep a god’s idol on a donkey and take out a procession to pray for rains. Mr. Ravi added, “The donkey becomes special only because it is carrying the idol. Similarly, some leaders become special as they get an opportunity to execute party responsibilities. But if such leaders think that they are greater than the party, then they will become an ordinary donkey that is beaten as the patience of people too will run out.”
He said the ongoing tussle in the BJP was based on a selfish agenda and that had ideological reasons.
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Earlier, the ground for the attack at Mr. Yeddyurappa was set by national general secretary Ananth Kumar. “The BJP is a party that believes in the nation-first ideology. Even the party comes only after the nation, and individuals come only at the end,” he said. He also asked the party workers to rely on the achievements of the Vajpayee government while seeking votes instead of brooding over “what is not there”.
Taking a cue from this, Deputy Chief Minister and Bangalore city in-charge Minister R. Ashok said, “The BJP is not an individual-based party, but a cadre-based organisation. We have never depended on individual leaders since its inception. We have been facing elections on the basis of collective leadership since the days of the erstwhile Jan Sangh.”