Focus on Rajnath as BJP think-tank formulates strategy for election

With UP State Assembly Elections barely a few months ahead, the BJP think-tank is assembling in Lucknow to formulate its game plan for the forthcoming election in UP, Uttaranchal and Punjab and also on how to tackle the UPA rule at the Centre. But before all this, the National Executive, to converge for the first time in BJP’s history, will affirm Rajnath Singh as the party president for a three-year renewed term in his home state of Uttar Pradesh. A huge 20000 square feet pandal is being readied for this crowning ceremony, in which about 2500 members of BJP’s National Executive will be redeeming their faith in Singh’s presidency. The entire pandal will be bedecked in saffron colours and a 720 square feet stage is being prepared for the leaders to sit.
Focus clearly will be on Rajnath Singh, whose position has strengthened considerably after BJP’s good showing in the recently concluded civic elections, consequent to which he was described as ‘lucky vote catcher’ for the BJP by his core backer, the RSS. No doubt, this win silenced his detractors within the party and thus had a tremendous impact on strengthening his chances for a renewed three year term. Singh’s actions will be keenly watched as he chooses his new team and carries forward the proceedings under the shadow of towering personalities like Advani and Vajpayee, both of whom have lately been given the role of consultants, under RSS’s guidance.
RSS’s estranged relationship with Advani and closeness to Vajpayee was evident in the recent controversy where Advani was quoted as saying that he proposed Vajpayee’s name for prime ministership but was unsure if now his name would be proposed by Vajpayee for the same post in case the NDA returns to power at the Centre. Consequent to this, Rajnath Singh made his intentions and that of RSS clear by saying that Vajpayee would certainly be one of party’s prime ministerial candidates, in response to which Manmohan Singh said that BJP will have to wait for very long time before it could hope to come back to power.
That the focus is not going to be on deciding the prime ministerial candidate but on formulating the strategy for the elections was evident in the saying of Kalraj Mishra who stressed that UP elections were most crucial as its outcome would decide nation’s future political course.
Another interesting area would be whether the BJP sticks to its Hindutva agenda or dilutes it by merely airing a few utterances regarding minority appeasement at the hands of Mulayam Singh or Manmohan Singh government.
Also something that would be of interest to the people of UP would be to see whether Kalyan Singh is clearly projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the forthcoming elections. This is particularly so because Kalyan Singh’s estranged relations with Rajnath Singh in the past is well-known though the later has tried to bridge the gap after assuming the mantle of Party’s president.
The national executive is being held in Lucknow after a gap of 15 years and the senior BJP leaders from UP are sparing no chance to make it a success. The State administration too has been put on high alert and more than 3500 policemen are being deployed for the cause. In this regard, Naveen Chandra Vajpayee – State’s Chief Secretary – has already completed the arrangements and given suitable instructions to the team responsible for security.

Muslim clerics air their grievances against US Government

Attacks against symbols of other religions have become a common thing. Nobody seems to mind the sentiments of the members of other community, as long as its own petty gains are being met. Keeping in mind that these kinds of alleged attacks have now become a regular affair, Aziz Haider talked to prominent Muslim leaders and ulemas to know their reaction on the cover story published in The HTE.

Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli
This is part of a well-planned conspiracy
No place can be equivalent to Mecca in sanctity. It is ironical that those who call of religious freedom do not keep in mind that the sentiments of other community should not be hurt. This is part of a well-planned conspiracy. First they tried to physically eliminate us but when they realized that the Muslim's love for the religion is not diminishing, they started a conspiracy to attack on their sentiments. First an edited Quran was brought into the market, then came anti-Muslim statements of their leaders. If some segments of the Muslims come out on streets, the international media will highlight this, even if it is a small reaction giving it an angle that the Muslims are unable to digest other religions. Moreover, this will be their way of putting a curtain on the defeat suffered at Philistine (Palestine) and Lebanon.

Maulana Rahman Miyan
This has been happening from the time of the Prophet
This is not something new. This is happening from the time of the Prophet. Abraha, the king of Yemen, attacked Mecca with intentions to demolish the building. All this was being done because they identified the Prophet from their respective books so clearly as if he was their child. Yet they opposed the path of justice to the path of Satan. When Abraha and his forces could not destroy Kaaba, who can do so without the Will of God? It has come in traditions that the sanctity of Kaaba will be compromised once but that would also signify the beginning of the end of this world. Satanic forces are hell-bent on destroying the sanctity of this centre of Islam on earth.
All this is happening because of the internal divisions within Muslims. I silently cry on the state of affairs. Instead of leading all to God, they want Muslims to come to their doorsteps. Today's maulvi thinks and make us belief that paradise is guaranteed if you come to them. God has said that it is He who shows the way and it will be He who will lead us to sanity.

Maulana Abdul Ali Farooqi
'Khisyani Billi Khamba Noche'
I am of the opinion that Muslims have a system which no other religion of the world has. That is why they continue to attack us and this is not something new for us. This is an attempt to tease us. Khisyani billi khamba noche (the annoyed cat bites at the pillar). They should come for a debate based on knowledge. Instead, they try to make faces so that some from us react. Why is it that no Muslim has ever criticized or demanded a change in the content of Bible or Gita or any other book of religious importance? This is so because we respect all religious books. Why do they want to change our Quran? If some Muslims react, they would try to use it to show that we are terrorists. I appeal to the sane people from across the world that they judge who is the terrorist – they or us? They (the US) call themselves the torchbearers of peace, yet they continue to torment the Muslims through acts and deeds.

Dr. S. Kalbe Sadiq
Muslims should find ways to tease the Zionists
I can give only two solutions to this recurring problem time and again.
First, Muslims should realize that this is not part of a Christian conspiracy as some would like us to believe. Rather, it is offshoot of the Zionist game-plan. They have always tried to reap benefit by making two parties fight. Now they want to ignite this war between two great religions of the world.
As I said earlier, there are only two solutions. Jewish lobby have identified the things that ignite the sentiments of the Muslims. Either the Muslims should cease to feel offended over constant attempts to tease them or they should instead find ways to tease the Jews. They should know that the Jews get teased easily. They should do that or sit quietly at homes.

Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan
Muslims are going through a war
America's misdeeds are now known to the world. George Bush has become a pawn in the hands of rightists; he has already termed this war as crusade. Muslims are going through a war and they do not realize this. We have already lost several countries by now.
It is the Muslims who are to be blamed. Those who were burning the effigies of Congress Party when Bush came to India last time are now canvassing for the same party. We cannot do much now as America has come openly to offend our sentiments. They want us to remain involved in these issues and have forgotten the core issues that are affecting the Islamic world on the whole. If you look at India, the Indianness has gone missing. Today we have become servants of Western culture. Indian culture is being eaten away by them. Now they want to do the same with the Islamic culture.
You should take reaction of the prominent Hindus and Christians as well as they too are against this. Hindus have been hurt tremendously, both by the attack on their culture and the attack on their sentiments by offending the devatas and devis.

Mufti Mukarram
Bar should be immediately closed
This act is strongly condemnable. Kaaba is the symbol of Islam. It is a sanctified place. If they have opened a bar there, it reflects the anti-Islamic policies. The bar should be immediately closed under the orders of the US Government. Matter should be discussed in the Security Council and other organs of United Nations.
If they will attack the sentiments of other religions, people are bound to feel bad. If they are unable to do anything, how do you expect them to vent their anger? It is US which is adding fuel to fire and giving rise to terrorism.
However, Muslims too should be curbed. I saw the Gunbad-e-Khazra made on the dargah of Haji Usman Naqshbandi at Ahmedabad. At another madrasa in UP, they have made a structure exactly in the shape of Kaaba on the top floor. Why should they do so? Kaaba is a far more sanctified place. Going a step ahead, they have made a bar. They could have made a religious center there, if their intentions were right. I feel sad. Organizations for world peace should come forward and do something. Bar should be closed immediately as this would have far-reaching repercussions.

Maulana Saif Abbas
Nobody should dare to do this again
This is another attack on Muslims. This keeps happening every quarter as they wish to keep us involved with petty things and continue to carry their nefarious plans. This is highly condemnable.
Time and again the Muslim sentiments are being hurt. Muslim countries and Ulemas should demand from UNO that a law is formulated so that sentiments of no person, belonging to any religion on earth, should get hurt. And that nobody should dare to do this again.

Ostentatious Nav Nirman Rally Belies Sonia Gandhi’s Directives for Simplicity

The entire city of Kanpur was bedecked in hoardings, banners and kiosks. Teemed as 'Maha Rally' by the Congress workers, each and every Congressmen who mattered and even those who don't were seen vying with each other to put up the maximum number of hoardings, banners and kiosks. The rule was of course simple: put up Sonia and Rahul jee's photo and top and print your own face as large as large could be. Not to be left behind, Sri Prakash Jaiswal was a sure winner, with innumerable huge gates of flex flouting his superhuman-sized caricature.
Considering that the minimum rates for flex printing go by Rs. 12 square feet, the flex printers in the city surely must have surely become richer by lakhs and lakhs of rupees. This is so because a small 20x10 hoarding, going by the above rate, would come for Rs. 2400 (plus taxes). Upon surveying the city, one would have counted at least a few hundred such hoardings, if not more. Then there were flex banners, huge gates, kiosks at every possible place and lot more. Surely, there must have been an additional cost for the hoarding rental, some of which goes to the Municipality as well, in case the high and the mighty would have thought of paying.
The pomp and grandeur through the hoardings was of such an extent that it even reflected the internal feuds and rivalries of senior Congress leaders, so much so that the media was compelled to label it as 'Hoarding War'. The key players in this war were Salman Khursheed and Sri Prakash Jaiswal, both of whom choose to ignore the other in their respective hoardings.
This was most evident at the venue Phoolbagh itself where the two leaders, even tried to over-shadow each other. As per media reports, the rivalry became public with supporters of both of them bad-mouthing each other. Attempt was made to shift each other's hoarding as well, right in front of other Congressmen.
Who is close to whom too was amply reflected. For instance MLA Ajay Kapoor and Alok Mishra's hoardings had Salman prominently displayed while Sri Prakash Jaiswal was conspicuous by his absence. Perhaps to please Salman, there were hoardings with Louise Khursheed's picture as well, who has apparently nothing to do with this rightly. Likewise, supporters of Sri Prakash Jaiswal chose to ignore Salman.
Seeing all this money going down the drain, one's thought wanders to that directive issued by the high command in Congress, urging Congressmen to adopt simple living. It is not difficult to see that other than Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, the rest of the Congressmen are yet to put this directive in practice. But with the greatest show of ostentation and pomp being held to please none other than Madam herself, one is obliged to conclude that this directive of the Congress high command has been conveniently ignored.
All this when the majority of Congress voter's do not even get two square meals a day and a huge number of them live in slums. It seems even Congress has taken to follow the NDA Government's policy of creating as much as possible so as to impress the voters. Interestingly, the same Congressmen do not fail to criticize Mulayam Singh Yadav for his dole to unemployed graduates and young girls.