JNU Row: BJP Plans Nationalism Campaign, Says Won’t be Defensive

BJP is planning a nationalism campaign in accordance with Headley’s trial, the JNU row and Rohith Vemula’s suicide.

BJP has decided to strongly put forth its stand on the JNU incident and raise the testimony of Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley during the upcoming Parliament session to counter opposition onslaught by firing up a debate over its core theme of nationalism.

BJP stands for unity, integrity and development of the country. It faces challenge from separatism that is being promoted in name of freedom of expression. We want to alert people about this threat.  

BJP Functionary

Party leaders said a decision has been taken to raise the Jawaharlal Nehru University row ‘very aggressively’ in Parliament as they believe that there is no reason for the party to be ‘defensive’ about the development and there is support for its stand on the issue among the masses.

The party is also launching a three-day ‘Jan Swabhimaan Abhiyan’ (campaign for peoples’ self-pride) between 18 to 20 February in which, party leaders and workers will try to stir up ‘nationalism’ among countrymen, to counter the threat of ‘separatism’ and ‘political conspiracy’.

It could be a street play, seminar, playing of nationalist songs at public places, meeting or anything. The aim is to highlight the cause of nationalism.  

BJP Party Leader

As part of its attempt to bring focus on the issue of nationalism, party leaders said the recent sacrifices made by soldiers in Siachen will also be highlighted across the country.

The idea is to highlight the party’s stand on the issue very aggressively from Parliament to the streets. We have a strong and consistent stand on what has happened in JNU and there is no reason for the party leaders to be defensive about the development.

Sources

Headley’s deposition that Ishrat Jahan, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in 2004, was a Laskar-e -Taiba (LeT) operative will also come handy for the saffron party in cornering Congress, which has made it clear that it will target the treasury benches over a host of issues, including Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula’s suicide, ‘intolerance’ and the status of economy, during the Budget session beginning on 23 February.

(With inputs from agencies.)