With 182 MPs, what Vajpayee had achieved is unparalleled eg. Golden Quadrilateral, Pokharan Nuclear Test, 8% Growth rate, improved relationship with China, US, Israel etc. What’s more, the economic reforms Vajpayee had done was more of a choice than a compulsion (as in case of P.V. Narasimha Rao). He had many plans to take the country to newer heights, but he couldn’t achieve what was then required Lok Sabha 2004. Here. BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi managed to get a majority in 2014 and since then Modi is the man on a mission. Here are the seven ways Modi is ensuring fulfilment of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s dream.
1) Choking up funding from the Vatican:
Vajpayee Government couldn’t pay much attention to conversion Mafia.
One of the first things Modi did after coming to power was applying strict norms to check illegal foreign funding to NGOs and churches, which were involved in the mass conversion. Churches and NGOs were seen rattled and thus protesting, many of archbishops and church fathers publicly announced an urged their followers not to vote Modi in 2019.
2) Weeding out moles in Administration:
During UPA era, People like Brajesh Kumar and Sudhindra Kulkarni, alleged Sonia Gandhi stooges, had direct access to PMO. During his tenure as Gujarat CM, Modi easily identified Congress stooges in his Government (eg. Sanjeev Bhatt). Same was noticed after he became PM in 2014 when he cleaned the administration in Center & rewarded the honest & efficient officials.
3) Crossing LoC to teach Pakistan lesson:
Vajpayee Government was surviving by the support of 23+ parties and one of them was the National Conference. Though ABV tried his best to tackle the terrorism there were certain limitations & some of the incidents like soldiers lynched by Bangladesh Rifles, attacks on Amarnath Yatra/ Army Colony were a taint on his Government. Operation Parakram attempted after the attack on Parliament in 2001 was called a fiasco. Vajpayee also supported ‘Aman ki Asha’, resumed Indo-Pak cricket despite repeated back-stabbing by Pakistan & failure of other peace initiatives like Lahore-Delhi bus, Agra Conference.
Modi faced a similar situation when attacks in Pathankot, Uri happened. But he retaliated in the most brutal way by conducting Surgical Stikes in PoK, Myanmar, which was important in maintaining the morale of armed forces & deterrent to the enemy. Standing strong and winning Dhoklam diplomatically is also one of the prime achievements that makes Modi the stronger version of ABV.
4) Not neglecting party, while strengthening the country
Many coalition parties took benefit of magnanimous nature of Vajpayee & backstabbed him time and again.
In words of Jaya Jaitley (the then ally of Vajpayee govt), ”Mamata quit NDA using Tehelka as an excuse led to Atalji accepting George Fernandes’ resignation for fear of Govt falling. When she failed in Bengal election she came back and touched his feet. And was forgiven! I am a witness.”
Not only that, BJP under Vajpayee also ceded strong position in Andhra /U.P. to CB Naidu/Mayawati.
Similar mistake ABV made in Bengal for imaginary RS support from Mamata. But in the leadership of Modi-Shah, BJP not only regained U.P, formed govt in Maharashtra but also won many states where BJP’s presence was virtually zero.
5) No repeat of ‘India Shining’
Excessive promotion of ‘India shining’ campaign definitely hurt Vajpayee govt. While doing reforms at a good pace, the public wasn’t properly communicated along with the hasty decision of pre-polling elections was taken (possibly due to over-confidence of some leaders).
Modi government was repeating similar mistakes (with grand shows in foreign countries) but here opposition played ‘Suit Boot Ki Sarkar’ barbs too early and since then Modi government has improved their image in poor people so much that inconvenience of demonetization didn’t hurt party much.
6) Strengthening the Internal Security
Imported Intelligence Network
During 1996, I.K.Gujral as PM dismantled all the intelligence network of India for seeking ‘peace’ with Pakistan. Vajpayee Government inherited that legacy which was proved fatal and Kargil plus some terror attacks in major cities happened.
Here Modi brought Ajit Doval to head ‘RAW’, under whose tenure India boasts of a better record of avoiding terror attacks than even Europe. Reduce the numbers of Naxals and Maoists are one of the major achievements of HMO, Rajnatah Singh.
7) Taking on Gandhi family directly
Vajpayee was such a statesman that he avoided direct verbal attacks on Gandhi dynasty. Rahul Gandhi would had been rotting in jail now, had Vajpayee govt been not rescued him in a drug case in the USA. (as Subramanian Swamy said)
Though unwillingly, he accepted the resignation of George Fernandes who was under most vicious attacks from Sonia.
Oppositely, Modi takes on ‘Shehzada’ & Gandhi/Nehru dynasty directly in election campaigns as well as in parliament. You will also find unity among Cabinet Ministers who defend one another from malicious propaganda run by Congress and its ecosystem.
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