Speak up and save democracy: Yashwant Sinha to BJP MPs

New Delhi: Lamenting that after completing four years of rule at the Centre, the NDA government had lost its way and the confidence of the voters, rebel BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Tuesday called on party MPs to 'speak up and save democracy and the country'.'The government has now completed nearly four years in office, presented five budgets and used up all the opportunity available to it to show results. At the end of it, however, we seem to have lost our way and the confidence of the voters.

There have been some minor successes no doubt, but the big failures overshadow them completely. Please pick up courage, and speak up and save democracy and the country,' Mr Sinha said in an open letter to the party MPs, published in a national daily.Noting that the situation in the country remains grim, be it in terms of poor state of the economy, deteriorating levels of women safety, in the realm of foreign policy, internal democracy in the party and denigration of institutions of democracy, Mr Sinha said, 'the situation demands that you speak up in the national interest.

I am glad to note that at least five Scheduled Caste MPs of the party have expressed their disenchantment with the government for not delivering on the promises made to the community. I am urging you to also express your opinion frankly before the bosses on all issues confronting us. If you remain silent now you will do a great disservice to the country.

Future generations are unlikely to forgive you. It is your right to demand accountability from those who are in government today and are letting down the country. The interest of the country supersedes that of the party, just as the interest of the party supersedes the interest of an individual. I am appealing specially to former deputy prime minister L K Advaniji and former union minister M M Joshiji to take a stand in the national interest and ensure that the values they have made such unparalleled sacrifices to uphold are protected and preserved for future generations and corrective steps are taken in time.'Mr Sinha said that everyone in the BJP had hoped that the unprecedented victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections would mark the beginning of a new and glorious chapter in the country’s history.

'We all worked very hard for the victory of the party in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Some of us had been struggling against the rule of the UPA government, in Parliament and outside, ever since it assumed office in 2004 while some others were enjoying the fruits of office in their respective states. We were delighted with the results of the 2014 elections and expected that the unprecedented victory would mark the beginning of a new and glorious chapter in our country’s history. We backed the prime minister and his team to the hilt, and in full faith,' Mr Sinha said. (UNI)