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‘BJP never compromised on ideology’: JP Nadda on party’s 40th Foundation Day
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the BJP workers on the party’s 40th Foundation Day and dubbed them as ‘the backbone of the party’
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a cadre-based party with the largest membership in the world but has not diluted its ideology or strayed from its mooring in the quest to gain power, party president Jagat Prakash Nadda said on Sunday.
Addressing the cadre on the 40th Foundation Day of the BJP, Nadda said, “We are ideologically affiliated to the Indian tradition and culture, and we never compromise, and hence, we are an ideological-based party.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed the BJP workers and dubbed them as “the backbone of the party.” In a post on ‘X’ he said, “...We recall all those who devoted themselves to strengthening our Party over the last several decades. This important day makes us reiterate our unparalleled commitment to work towards India’s progress and realise the dream of a Viksit Bharat.”
Referring to the cadre as the backbone of the party, who actively work on the ground and elaborate on the agenda of good governance, he said he was proud of how they work to serve the poor, downtrodden as well as marginalised.
“The people of India are seeing the good governance agenda of our Party, which is also reflected in the historic mandates we’ve received in the years gone by, be it in the Lok Sabha elections, Assembly elections across different states and various local body polls across the nation. Our governments will continue serving society and ensuring all-round development,” Modi said.
Union home minister Amit Shah said under the leadership of Modi, the party’s symbol , the Lotus, has come to be seen as a symbol of faith and hope.
“Whether it is the Shri Ram Mandir movement or the resolution to remove Article 370 or to ensure the welfare of the poor, the deprived and women - the BJP has made national interest its biggest goal since its inception. In its four-decades-long journey, the BJP has shown how a political party can remain committed to simultaneously respecting heritage, providing housing, food, health insurance to every poor and welfare of farmers,” he said in a post on ‘X’.
Tracing the journey of the BJP that was formed in 1980 and its precursor the Jana Sangh, Nadda said the party began as a political movement for the purpose of national reconstruction. “We should remember that we started as a political movement, which converted into the Jana Sangh, we did join the Janata Party in 1977 because of the prevalent political conditions, but in 1980 we forged a new identity as the BJP... We do not dilute our ideology or make any compromises with it to gain power,” he said.
The BJP’s foundation was laid on April 6, after the Janata Party of which the Jana Sangh was a part, dissolved.
Nadda said it was the ideological commitment that made its founder and ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee quit as cabinet minister, against special status to Jammu and Kashmir through Article 370 that was eventually abrogated in 2019 during the BJP-led NDA’s second term.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (inclusivity and development for all), Nadda said it was rooted in BJP ideologue, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya’s Antyodaya (development of the last man in the queue).
Nadda said the edifice that the BJP is--with over 13.5 million members and governments in over a dozen states—is founded on the sacrifices and work of leaders such as Mookerjee, Upadhyaya, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, Kushabhau Thakre, Sundar Singh Bhandari and Jagannathrao Joshi. “...There is a long list of such leaders who laid the foundation for the edifice that the BJP today is. It is because of these people that we have reached the pinnacle that we are at being the largest party in the world,” he said.
Citing instances of the party following its ideology in letter and spirit, Nadda said the campaign for removal of Article 370 started by Mookerjee as ‘Ek desh mein two nishan, do pradhan, do vidhan nahi ho sakte’ (there cannot be two symbols, two premiers, and two constitutions ) was followed through by the Modi government when it passed the Bill that read down the special powers to the erstwhile state. In 2019, Parliament sanctioned the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories and abrogated Article 370.
He also referred to the 1987 Palampur Resolution of the party which paved the way for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya after a prolonged legal battle as the party’s adherence to its ideology.
“We are a mass-based party. We have more than 13.5 million people; 10 Lakh active workers... this is the only political party with a scientific approach. Expanding the organisation and winning elections is a science,” he said.
Nadda instructed the party leaders to increase their outreach and cover five lakh booths starting today till April 13. Between April 14 and 25, the party will carry out Samvidhan Gaurav Diwas to honour BR Ambedkar’s legacy.
