The BJP is a big platform of “national unity” and a party of all Indians and for whole India, senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said on the party’s Foundation Day on Friday.
Prasad said that broadly three categories of people opposed the party — the Leftist, the Congress and “chronic socialists other than Ram Manohar Lohia”, and it was clear where all these people stood today.
“The whole ideology of Leftist was imported from outside therefore they are left out. We wiped out CP(M) from Tripura and in next election, we will defeat them in Kerala. And I am saying this with humility,” Prasad told reporters at the BJP’s head office here.
Addressing the press conference on the party’s Foundation Day, he said that as far as the Congress was concerned it was “family incorporated”.
“Regardless of the potential or talent, the top leadership of the party can go to family only, whereas in BJP a booth worker can become Prime Minister. And we all are proud that our (party) promotes such people,” Prasad, the Union Law Minister, said.
Taking on “chronic socialists”, he said Ram Manohar Lohia’s socialist movement today had become a “family movement”.
“Now, BJP is a party of all Indians and the party is with all India,” Prasad said while referring to party’s performance in Nagaland where more than 90 per cent of the population is Christian.
The party has no prejudices against any one, he noted.
Talking about the party’s journey, Prasad described it into three-phases. The first phase was when the party worked for the “country’s culture and heritage” such as Goa liberation movement.
In the second phase, the party fought against the Emergency for safeguarding the rights of the people and in the last phase, the party fought a battle against vote bank politics and by pushing cultural nationalism.
“In 1984, we got only two seats and now after more than 30 years we got clear majority, because Narendra Modi emerged as a ray of hope for the people and under his leadership India is today treated as global power and Modi as a global leader,” Prasad said.
He also praised the role of BJP president Amit Shah in strengthening and expanding the party.
“His (Shah) leadership injected new energy into the party cadre and BJP today with more than 11 crore members is the world’s largest political outfit,” he said, while noting that the new initiatives taken by Shah led to the expansion of the party.
Today, the BJP is a platform for all Indians with one voice, one slogan and one commitment to make India a global power, he said.
The BJP is a big platform of “national unity” , he added.
He also expressed the gratitude on behalf of the party to its allies.