BJP has always supported free trade, free agriculture: Amit Shah

Jana Sangh always believed in 'nation first, party second and the person last': Amit Shah

BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday said his party has been pro-free trade and free agriculture policy since its inception.

"We had said (we support) free trade and free agriculture then (when BJP's predecessor Jana Sangh was formed) and today also we are saying free trade and free agriculture," the BJP chief said.

Shah, who was speaking at 'opinion-makers meet' with a select group of city residents from various sectors, reiterated that he considers Congress to be a "special purpose vehicle" formed for getting independence.

"Everybody who wanted independence gathered under the banner of Congress.... The party was like a special purpose vehicle to gain independence. Once the purpose was served, the structure of Congress became irrelevant. There were hardly any principles, hence after independence it remained in politics only and only for politics," Shah said.

Jana Sangh, on the other hand, always believed in "nation first, party second and the person last" and even today the BJP swears by this dictum, he said.

"When Sonia Gandhi will step down from her post (of Congress chief) everybody knows who would be the next president of the party. Can anyone guess who would be the next president of the BJP? Anyone can become, because we have an internal democracy," Shah said.