With the BJP announcing its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, RJD took a swipe at L K Advani, saying he was "anxious" to become the Prime Minister.
NEW DELHI: With the BJP announcing its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, RJD on Saturday took a swipe at senior party leader L K Advani, saying he was "anxious" to become the Prime Minister.
"Advani has challenged the foundation of secularism while addressing a party rally in Kanpur yesterday and is fomenting communal passions to capture power," RJD supreme and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said.
Prasad criticised the BJP leader for raising the bogey of Ayodhya and charged him with spreading the communal virus.
Prasad was addressing a meeting here of his party's core committee, which discussed RJD's future strategy in the wake of current political developments vis-a-vis the Indo-US nuclear deal.
"By raising the Ram Temple issue, Advani has started whipping up communal sentiments to capture the seat of Hastinapur," Prasad said.
Advani, who is NDA's Prime Ministerial candidate on Friday demanded construction of a "splendid Ram Temple" in Ayondhya.
On Advani's suggestion for construction of a temple of Bharat Mata, Prasad said it reflected his anxiety and dubbed him as "Vyakul Bharat."
The RJD leader threatened to launch a massive campaign against "any party, which tries to play with the basic tenets of the constitution."
Resolving to take all steps to stop the communal forces from coming back to power, Prasad said the RJD will take efforts to ensure that all secular parties fight the election in a cordial atmosphere so that secular votes are not divided.
Stating categorically that there is no enmity with any political party, the RJD supremo described Samajwadi Party (SP) as secular when asked about the developing proximity between the SP and Congress.
"SP has its own mass base and they are secular people," said Prasad, adding that every party has its own viewpoint on who is going with whom.
Commenting on the possibility of alliance with the Lok Jan Shakti Party in the upcoming elections, Prasad said, "Ram Vilas Ji is also from the same ideology," arguing that steps in future would be taken as per the demand of situations.
Coming to the defence of the Central government over the issue of price rise, Prasad said, "A few people cannot tolerate the Rs 70 thousand loan waiver to the farmers. We do not produce petrol and diesel. Farmers have been given relief. We have now buffer stock of green vegetables."
Denying that price rise has had an impact in villages, he said, "There may be price rise in big cities but it has no effect in villages."
The Railway Minister also held "a section of BJP-supported traders" responsbile for keeping the prices high.
On the nuclear deal, the RJD chief said, "RJD symbol lantern is a candle in whose light we will reach the nuclear deal."
He also said that RJD would continue with its lantern symbol even after the recent national status to the party.
"Election Commission has sought our choice on the symbol. We will keep our lantern, which is a hurricane lamp, a candle that even a storm cannot extinguish," said Prasad.
The party chief after holding the core committee and office bearers meeting here today will also chair the national executive meeting of RJD in Bihar on July 4.
"We will go for intensive review of party work, pass important proposals and take vows in the meeting there," said Prasad.
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