Policy paralysis has ended in 100 days, says BJP

Says good governance has started with economic recovery and Jan Dhan scheme

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Monday described the first 100 days of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre as “end of policy paralysis” and the beginning of “good governance.”

The party brandished economic recovery and the launching of the Jan Dhan social security programme as its major achievements during this period.

Even as the first 100 days were marked by a setback for the party in Bihar, where it conceded two seats to the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Janata Dal (United)-Congress combine in the recent by-polls, the BJP was ominously silent on the controversy over ‘love jihad’ and the attempts to revive hard-line politics in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the September 13 by-polls.

Although the party has not planned any formal function to mark the government’s 100 days in power, it has decided to organise media interactions with Ministers to showcase their achievements.

On Monday, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani came to the BJP office and cleared doubts over the proposed Teachers’ Day address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 5. On Tuesday, Union Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar is meeting the media to showcase his department’s achievements.

For the party, its Jan Dhan Yojana flagship programme was in the making for several days with the involvement of 80,000 people, including party workers, Members of Legislative Councils and Members of Parliament.

“The mood of despondency is over. With 1.8 crore people opening bank accounts on the very first day that Jan Dhan scheme was launched, the NDA has shown it can be done. As against this, for years the Congress talked about ‘garibi hatao,’ but did nothing,” a senior leader said.

Senior party functionaries said Mr. Modi’s style of functioning was oriented towards delivery. “There is accountability in bureaucracy and the surprise visits by Ministers keep everybody on their toes.”

“With development as its agenda, this is a decision-making government with a vision. Mr. Modi has mended relations with neighbours. Even with Pakistan, he took the initiative to invite Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony, but if Islamabad chooses to interfere in India’s internal matter, by holding talks with Kashmir separatists, then it is not genuinely interested in dialogue,” said a party general secretary. On the Supreme Court observation about inclusion of tainted Ministers in the Union Cabinet, the BJP leader said these were political cases. Even so, it is for the apex court to set up fast-track courts to either convict or clear them, he added.