We were shocked to see the observations of Ms Coomi Kapoor in her regular column, published in Indian Express news paper on Dec 05, 2010, referring to the wall posters pasted by Congress Secular Hindu Forum activists in New Delhi, recently. We expect when a reputed journalist makes a comment, she/he should try to verify facts, get accurate information and may comment based upon facts. But we afraid to say no such practice was observed here. Moreover, it looks like `stenographer’ journalism, rather than `journalism of courage’ for which Indian Express is credited throughout several decades.
We really shocked to see how she could come to the conclusion referring our Forum as `mischievous organization’ and our posters added woes to Sri Pranab Mukherjee. If she is ignorant about this organization, she should try to get facts. Are she gets inputs from Sri Pranab Mukherjee to suspect our posters added `woes’ to him?
Congress Secular Hindu Forum (CSHF) has been functioning since more than three and half years, with in the Congress party, with the active support of several Hindu-minded leaders and cadres from all over the country. Our party high command is well aware of this organization. We have been frequently conveying our point of view on almost all important issues to the party high command.
Only recently, we proposed to put up our candidate in the AICC President elections and asked the party Chief Election Officer Sri Oscar Fernands to postpone the elections for six months, so that to complete electoral process in all the states as per rules and also enable us to decide our candidate after consulting all Hindu-minded leaders and also campaign in support of our candidate.
We have also launched massive campaign from Vijaya Dasami, October 17,2010 to make senior most politician and able administrator in the country Sri Pranab Mukherjee as Prime Minister. As a beginning of this campaign, for one week we have sent SMSs to all our party workers all over the country seeking their support to our campaign. The campaign was conducted from October 17 to 23. The text of the SMS is :
“Pray Durga Matha make Pranab Dada as Prime Minister. Save Hindustan-Save Congress. Dasara greetings from Congress Secular Hindu Forum”
In return, party workers forwarded the SMS to their friends and they forwarded to others. Like that way, it has reached large number of people.
If Ms Coomi Kapoor is ignorant of such mass campaign in the country, we are helpless. As a professional journalist, we hope it would be her duty to explore happenings, before making such `irresponsible’ comment on a genuine political movement, like us.
The posters campaign was also launched in many cities of India. We really shocked to know how Ms Coomi Kapoor `digged’ and `realized’ that Sri Pranab Mukherjee tried to get the posters removed and he believes they have been brought out by his enemies to embarrass him.
If Ms Coomi Kapoor knows that Sri Pranab Mukherjee get removed those posts, is she also says that he asked the people to throw away mobile phones for receiving SMSs ? Is there any basis for her `exposure’?
The news about posters was published in many other familiar news papers all over the country, including Times of India. Some TV News Channels in Southern India also have highlighted these posters and our movement. But none of them able to `dig’ like Ms Coomi Kapoor and could assess the `mind’ of Sri Pranab Mukherjee like that. The way in which, she presented her comment makes us to suspect her intentions. Is she is trying to take up the cause of some one?
Congress Secular Hindu Forum was also actively championed the cause of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh, when our own Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhra Reddy’s family and relatives tried to misuse it for the spreading of Christianity and dilute its sacredness. We demanded our party president Smt Sonia Gandhi to direct for a CBI probe into all irregularities at the world famous Hindu shrine Tirumala.
In our letters to the party high command, we even confirmed the support we are getting from as many as 76 MPs from within Congress party. There is nothing to hide. Our objectives are very clear. It is natural for us to react when efforts are being made to replace Dr Manmohan Singh with Sri A K Antony as Prime Minister of this country. We openly protested this move through wall posters making it clear Sri Antony is the candidate of America and Vatican and Sri Pranab Mukherjee will be candidate of Indian people.
We will continue our campaign within the party till Sri Pranab Mukherjee is made as Prime Minister of the country. We strongly believe that Dr Manmohan Singh is never a Congressmen and believer in principles and programmes of the party. He is only close to family members of Smt Sonia Gandhi.
We need not shed tears, if his government is collapsed. No Congress worker is heard or treated well during his six and half year’s regime. Only Delhi-based power brokers and corrupt party leaders are benefiting in his government. Congress workers and voters have nothing to feel great of this government. Even now more than 90 per cent of ministers in Congress governments at Center and State are horrible corrupt.
Even UPA government is only serving the corrupt allies enabling their leaders to increase their bank balances and illegal assets. CSHF is seeking Sri Pranab Mukherje to be made as Prime Minister only to bring back credit and confidence among Congress workers and its voters. Lakhs of party workers all over the country are feeling that he only can meet their aspirations, as he will not allow present corrupt practices.
It is open secret now that Congress ministers in state and central governments have been looting public to earn hundreds of cores of rupees with corrupt practices as they need to pay huge amounts to several leaders in the party high command, for their own survival. We want to put an end to such practice so that to bring back glory to the party.
We have started our campaign to make Sri Pranab Mukhrjee only responding to the wishes and ambitions of lakhs of party workers all over the country, who are convinced that only he can bring value and identity to the Congress workers and voters. Only Sri Pranab Mukherjee can bring back respect to khadi-wearing party worker.
Ms Coomi Kapoor mentioned that Sri Pranab Mukherjee is designated as No. 2 in the Cabinet. But all the Congress party workers and Congress Secular Hindu Forum also believes he is No. 1 in the cabinet. That’s why we are demanding to make him as the Prime Minister. More than 90 per cent of Prime Ministerial assignments are being attended by Sri Pranab Mukherjee. Dr Manmohan Singh remains as name-sake. Why should we allow such person to continue in power?
About 95 per cent of Congress voters are Hindus only. Congress party is enjoying power at the Center and many states only with the support of Hindus. They are now feeling ignored and cheated by UPA Government.
We also strongly reacted when severe corrupt charges were exposed against Telecom Minister Sri A Raja last month. We demanded not only to sack him from the Union Cabinet, also cut off alliance with DMK, as many DMK ministers at the Center were involved in one or other corrupt practices. Their `blackmailing’ tactics have been defaming Congress party. We asked our high command to realize DMK is badly needed Congress support for the survival of its government in Tamil Nadu, more than its support to UPA Government at the Center. Congress need not continue in power to please such corrupt parties.
Congress Secular Hindu Forum is not a `paper tiger’ organization, as some senior journalists trying to makes others to believe. We have the support of crores of Hindus all over the country. Lakhs of people are ready to rally behind us in any programme, if we give a call. We can even organize dharna or rasta roko at the AICC head quarter or even at the residence of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, in support of our demands.
However, we do not want to create problems to the party. We are strong believers in Gandhian principles and want to follow peaceful means and democratic methods. If Congress high command is adamant and not prepared to respect the wishes of the party cadre, Congress Secular Hindu Forum may be forced to intensify its agitational programme, as per need of the hour.
