Shillong, Dec. 19: The BJP today said the party, as in other states, would take support from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (rss) for electoral gains in Meghalaya.
BJP national vice-president Pyeralal Khandelwal today said his party was not averse to seeking co-operation from all concerned, including the RSS.
?What is wrong with the RSS?? he asked, reacting to statements made by the Congress in the state on the BJP?s ?hidden agenda?. He was supported by senior party leaders from the region and the state, who said that the BJP would extend support to the RSS as long as the organisation continued to provide good service in the region.
?We will prove that we stand for one national culture, like we did in Gujarat,? Khandelwal said on allegations that the party was making inroads in the Northeast through the RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The BJP national vice- president accused political parties of attempting to malign the image of the BJP in the region by harping on ?Hindutva?.
He told newspersons today that the party won the Gujarat elections on issues of development and corruption, rather than communalism and Hindutva, as was being projected.
?In Meghalaya, we want the people to give us their mandate for our concern for development.? Khandelwal said there were other important issues confronting the region, like infiltration and cross-border terrorism which needed urgent attention ?We will highlight cases of infiltration, the nefarious activities of the ISI and the attempts by the al Qiada to enter the Northeast,? he said.
?Our programme for the Northeast has been to ensure peace and good governance. Our focus will be on corruption in implementation of below-poverty-line schemes. In the state, we will focus on the Meghalaya House scam and the online lottery deal,? Khandelwal said.