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Journalism of Courage
As election campaigns across Rajasthan started winding down, PM A.B. Vajpayee stood before the Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur and talked about changing the way elections are fought. Addressing a crowd, he said: ‘‘Elections should not be fought with black money. I am also sad about the quality of campaigning which is reduced to allegations and counter-allegations.’’
During his last leg of campaigning in Rajasthan, Vajpayee remembered his first election, fought with ‘‘just two jeeps’’ and wondered why election costs were rising. ‘‘The BJP has tried to maintain its ideals…I say ‘tried to’ because in today’s day and age it is difficult. But even in cases where corruption charges are levelled against our people, we have asked them to resign though we know they are innocent. George Fernandes did it and so did Judeo.’’
Taking a dig at Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi, he said: ‘‘What do other parties do in such cases. There’s a forgery charge against one CM. It was a letter sent to me… When I read it I realised it was forged and sent it to the Cabinet Secretary. But that CM did not resign and was not even ready for a CBI inquiry.’’
Speaking on development, Vajpayee chose to talk of roads in Madhya Pradesh, than deal with the issues of Rajasthan.
Generalising, he said: ‘‘In all states going to polls, I ask people what are the issues. The states are different but the answer is the same — electricity, roads and water. That is because in all the states, Congress is in power.’’
On a day of hectic campaigning, with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi making a whirlwind trip of the state and candidates beginning their door-to-door campaigns, Vajpayee looked at the bigger picture. He talked of how the Golden Quadrilateral would save petrol worth crores or how India could export fresh flowers to Europe in winter and how tourism can be a better revenue-earner.
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Meanwhile in Madhya Pradesh, Speaker slams PM, EC
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LALGAON (MANGAWA): The “white tiger of Rewa”, his back against the wall, is attempting to turn his “weakness”, the Election Commission’s code of conduct, into his strength. Taking a leaf out of Narendra Modi’s book, MP Speaker Sriniwas Tewari is claiming that the election in his constituency is a battle between the voters of Mangawa and the EC, between Sriniwas Tewari and A.B. Vajpayee. Speaking at a rally today, Tewari said: ‘‘In the history of the world…no greater injustice or crime has been done than to the Mangawa voters. It is a stain on Vajpayee’s forehead that voters are deprived of the vote in an atmosphere of tyranny. People say they fight Pakistan but it seems Vajpayee and his government are fighting the Mangawa voters.’’ ‘‘At a rally in Rewa, the PM said the people of Mangawa are farzi (fake). He said farzi voters have been removed from the rolls. He said a labourer who works in Rewa is a farzi Mangawa resident.’’ Addressing Vajpayee, he said: ‘‘You live in Delhi, your name is in the Lucknow list but you are not farzi. Advani’s name is in the Gujarat list, he lives in Delhi, he is not farzi. Only a karamchari working in Rewa, living in Lalgaon is farzi.’’ Story continues below this ad ‘‘A tape of my speech reached Delhi and Vajpayee, Advani and senior EC officials. Vajpayee then sent 12 more companies (of paramilitary) to Mangawa. The CRPF men have been tutored. I have a letter from a man named Damodar Yadav. He says on Nov 27, CRPF men raided his house and told Yadav: ‘‘You are a Congress worker. Take out the blankets lying with you or we will kill you.’’ (HARTOSH SINGH BAL) |
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