NEW DELHI: BJP chief Amit Shah on Wednesday told party cadre that nationalism was the party’s credo and they should aim to build it as one of the strongest parties in the world. Hoping to replace Congress as the main political party, Shah said workers should aim for rule “from panchayats to Parliament” in the next 25 years.
Addressing the cadre on completion of 36 years of the party’s formation, Shah said, “BJP’s identity is of a nationalist party and it is the responsibility of our generation to take this identity forward. It is our responsibility to protect this nationalist identity.”
“The party started by 11 people has become a family of 11 crore members. This came to be due to sacrifices of thousands of party workers who worked to protect the ideology and ‘Bharat Mata’ and BJP workers should remember this and not let the sacrifices be frittered away,” he said, starting and ending his speech with “Bharat Mata ki Jai”.
Charting out the role for the party, Shah said it should act as a bridge between government and people. He said the BJP had picked three government schemes — Clean Ganga, on educating the girl child and building toilets in all homes — to make a success.
“When the party is in power, a sense of lethargy sets in. But it’s the duty of the organiser to take the government’s policies to the people and bring people’s problems to the government,” he added.
Referring to the BJP’s birth, Shah said, “After became prime minister, his Western-oriented policies and decisions compelled nationalistic forces to pave the way for founding the Jana Sangh. If we had followed Nehru’s policies, we would have gone on the wrong path.”
Shah said the party had stood by its principles, had a different identity and was in politics with the purpose of making ‘Bharat Mata’ a ‘vishwa guru’ (global leader).