Know Pratibha Patil

Know Pratibha Patil is part of the political campaign launched by the BJP for the Presidential election of 2007. It consists of a website and a PDF booklet (titled "Presidential Election 2007"), created by the BJP under the banner of Project India. Both contain the party's allegation in the form of a compilation of articles from various medias. While announcing the website at a press conference, the BJP party general secretary Arun Jaitley also distributed a printed form of the booklet and described it as a compilation of articles / editorials from newspapers on the Presidential contest.

Objectives and content
The stated objective of the site is to "educate the people about Pratibha Patil, the nominee of UPA and Indian left for Indian presidential election scheduled on 19 July 2007". To support this, the website consists of various sections like 'Cartoon,' 'Pratibhaspeak' and 'UPA Doublespeak' and includes links to video clippings and articles that refer to the various allegations levelled against Pratibha Patil.

The website declares :


The BJP leader Arun Jaitley talking to news-persons called the website a "campaign to provide an informed choice to the electorate (the electoral college)". "The voter has a right to the information about the candidate he is voting for. This effort is intended for an informed choice of the electorate," Jaitley said.

Criticism
Arun Jaitley did not respond when asked what would happen to the right of information when people are "informed" only about one of the two Presidential candidates. He said the website would vanish after July 21 when the Presidential election result will be out.

A Congress spokesperson commented:



Divided opinion on Campaign
The Times of India, a national Indian daily, reported that a section of BJP leaders had initially looked divided over supporting this campaign against Pratibha Patil. Party chief Rajnath Singh seemed reluctant to be drawn into a "personal attack" while senior party leader L. K. Advani spoke at length on the "pliant President" issue at the party's national executive last month. Daily News and Analysis also reported on the apparent differences among senior leaders on this campaign and had this quote:
 
< Prev   Next >