BJP hits back at Congress

Updated on : 18-01-2014 03:01 PM

BJP chief Rajnath Singh on Saturday accused the Congress of practising politics of dividing people along religious lines.

Singh also criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his remarks that it would be disastrous if Narendra Modi became the PM, and said that it was his tenure which had been a disaster while Gujarat had become a model state under Modi. He further added that it was Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, from her government, who spoke about "Hindu terror". Gandhi had in her speech at AICC meet on Friday said that opposition BJP's ideology is divisive and communal. Addressing party members in New Delhi on Saturday, Singh said that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was trying to appropriate credit for passage of Lokpal Bill though the legislation owed its existence to the efforts of social activist Anna Hazare and BJP leaders had also put pressure on the government. The BJP president said that the Congress-led UPA government had failed to live-up to people's expectations and the economy is in shambles. "The governments provided by Narendra Modi in Gujarat, Shivraj Singh Chauhan in Madhya Pradesh and Raman Singh in Chhattisgarh have put a question mark over the Congress' future in these states. The Congress fears that a strong government under Modi could do the same at the national level," he said. BJP wary of AAP-Cong tag team, meet discusses poll strategy BJP is now clearly wary of the Aam Admi Party with the party's national executive on Friday discussing ways to counter the challenge posed by it along with Congress in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Though BJP President Rajnath Singh refrained from naming AAP, he alluded to how Congress may use the growing clout of Arvind Kejriwal's organisation to spoil their march to victory. Speaking at the BJP National Executive in New Delhi on Friday, party president Rajnath Singh said there is growing antagonism against the Congress mainly due to malgovernance, indecisiveness and corruption in the UPA government. "Congress can see the writing on the wall and knows that defeat is writ large there. Congress is losing the elections and hence is trying to ensure that BJP does not get a clear majority. It is making every effort to stop the BJP's march to success," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters, quoting Singh. The BJP Chief said since Congress is aware it is going to lose the polls, it is now trying every trick in the book to ensure that a "majboor (weak)" government is formed at the Centre. Though Singh did not name Aam Admi Party, whose growing clout is a matter of concern for the BJP, party sources said he was making a veiled reference to it. Congress is supporting the AAP government in Delhi and BJP has often alleged that the latter is the B-team of the former. BJP is also concerned about Congress encouraging the non-UPA, non-NDA parties to keep the saffron party from forming a government in case of a hung Parliament. Rajnath Singh also referred to the issue of secularism, a matter on which Congress has targeted it often, and said many forces want India to be a weak state. "The party president gave the assurance that BJP-led NDA will form a government which will not only be strong on economics and ethics but will also never compromise on the issue of nationalism," Javadekar said. Singh described UPA government as an NPA-non-performing asset- and said it is time to write it off. "He said India attained Swarajya (independence) in 1947 but now it is time for Purna Swarajya (full independence) by making the country free of corruption and unemployment," Javadekar said. In his speech, Rajnath Singh claimed that people will give a decisive mandate to BJP and NDA will form a government at the Centre. He congratulated Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh for their victory in the Assembly polls. He also praised Vasundhara Raje for leading BJP to an unprecedented victory in Rajasthan and Harsh Vardhan for helping the party emerge as the largest in Delhi Assembly polls. "After the Goa conclave (where Narendra Modi was declared the BJP Campaign Committee Chief) not only the weather but also the attitude of the people has also changed," Singh, said. At the on-going national Executive meet, BJP will give final touches to its resolutions on the political and economic situation in the country. These two resolutions will be passed at the two-day national council beginning Saturday. State units will also present reports on their state of preparedness for the Lok Sabha elections and formation of booth level committees. This being the last conclave before the general elections, the party will also set its roadmap for the battle ahead, sources said