12-25-2006, 12:51 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>BJP will weed out criminals: Kalyan </b>
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
Taking a step towards restoring "credibility" of politicians, senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh said time had to come to purge the political system of criminals and declared that the party would not give tickets to those with a criminal past in the coming Assembly elections.
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>"We may lose elections but will not give ticket to criminals .... The party is ready to take the risk," </span>Singh said while addressing the National Council of BJP here on Saturday. In his almost an hour-long speech, Singh said <b>criminals had infiltrated the political system of the country and were winning political clout using money and muscle power.</b>
<b>"This should end now. The BJP will not give ticket to criminals. It is our resolve and we will stick to it come what may,</b>" Singh said. He added that the party was committed to social equality. "This can only be achieved if political parties decide to keep criminals at bay. The BJP has taken this resolve to cleanse the political system. It is a risky proposition, but for building a healthy society and a healthy democracy this risk is worth taking," Singh, who is also in-charge of the party's affairs, said.
Kalyan Singh, who is also vice-president of the party, followed what Rajnath had said. <b>"Rajnath Singh has struck at the issue. Criminalisation of politics has vitiated the political scenario. The BJP will initiate steps to restore the credibility of politicians," </b>he said.
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Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
Taking a step towards restoring "credibility" of politicians, senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh said time had to come to purge the political system of criminals and declared that the party would not give tickets to those with a criminal past in the coming Assembly elections.
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>"We may lose elections but will not give ticket to criminals .... The party is ready to take the risk," </span>Singh said while addressing the National Council of BJP here on Saturday. In his almost an hour-long speech, Singh said <b>criminals had infiltrated the political system of the country and were winning political clout using money and muscle power.</b>
<b>"This should end now. The BJP will not give ticket to criminals. It is our resolve and we will stick to it come what may,</b>" Singh said. He added that the party was committed to social equality. "This can only be achieved if political parties decide to keep criminals at bay. The BJP has taken this resolve to cleanse the political system. It is a risky proposition, but for building a healthy society and a healthy democracy this risk is worth taking," Singh, who is also in-charge of the party's affairs, said.
Kalyan Singh, who is also vice-president of the party, followed what Rajnath had said. <b>"Rajnath Singh has struck at the issue. Criminalisation of politics has vitiated the political scenario. The BJP will initiate steps to restore the credibility of politicians," </b>he said.
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