‘Freedom for dissent, not destruction’

The issue of nationalism continued to take the centrestage in the deliberations after party chief Amit Shah set the tone in his inaugural address on Saturday saying BJP will not tolerate any attack on the nation, with the dominant mood in BJP being to put the Congress in a corner on the issue. 

Briefing the media on the resolution, Union Minister Arun Jaitley said “freedom of expression and nationalism do necessarily co-exist” and the Constitution gives full freedom for expressing dissent and disagreement, but not the country’s destruction. 

The Finance Minister, a key party strategist, also targeted Congress over its political strength, saying the main opposition party has “lowered” its stature and was “content to be a tail ender of any alliance” in states like Bihar, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. 

The party leaders also deliberated over the upcoming assembly polls in five states with Jaitley saying BJP will score a “decisive victory” in Assam where it has stitched up a large alliance and improve its presence in other states. 

“Our strength has risen a lot in Kerala,” he said in a special mention of the southern state where it hopes to consolidate a share of Hindu votes to make its mark. Wooing Dalit voters who will be crucial in the UP assembly polls scheduled early next year, the resolution highlighted government’s efforts like building memorials for Babasaheb Ambedkar in Maharashtra and London where he had stayed or how entrepreneurs belonging to weaker sections being given loans under Mudra scheme to develop an “institution of Dalit entrepreneurs”. 

Poverty alleviation was the focus of economic policies, the resolution said, noting the high growth rate despite the global difficulties.