New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS): Following a meeting of the INDIA Bloc earlier in the day, Union Minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday took a jibe at the opposition alliance, calling its proposed ‘Save Democracy March’ a ‘Save Dynasty March’.
The INDIA bloc announced the campaign, among several other steps, to exert pressure on the Election Commission and “expose” its wrongdoings before the common people.
Addressing a press conference, Chouhan said: “The Congress party, whether it is Mallikarjun Kharge or Rahul Gandhi, instead of apologising for its mistakes, is spreading false narratives and making baseless allegations.”
Referring to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s absence at the meeting, the BJP leader said: “Elections are soon going to be held in Uttar Pradesh…if the matter is so serious, where was Akhilesh Yadav at the meeting?”
However, Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the BJP earlier in the day, saying that its “biggest sorrow” was that the INDIA Bloc is “united”.
Chouhan also referred to the tiff between the Congress and the DMK, saying: “DMK has said it will not sit wherever the Congress is present.”
Further mentioning AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s absence, he said: “The condition of the INDIA Bloc is similar to a heart breaking into a million pieces…the reality is the alliance is not ready to accept Rahul Gandhi as its leader.”
Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed the opposition alliance meeting ended with “zero vision, hundred per cent frustration and excuse for losing (polls) in advance”.
Referring to the ‘Save Democracy March’ announced by the alliance, he retorted: “It should be instead called ‘Save Dynasty March’…even before the Assembly polls were conducted in West Bengal, Rahul Gandhi had himself attributed BJP’s victory to Mamata Banerjee’s mistakes, not to the SIR (Special Intensive Revision).”
The Union Minister alleged that whenever elections approach, the Congress resorts to “politicisation” of constitutional institutions and even questions the judiciary if the courts don’t deliver a verdict in its favor.
Attacking Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, he said: “People who advocate the interruption of foreign powers in India’s democracy are today talking about protecting the same…now when their efforts to replace Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the hearts of the people have been unsuccessful, they are again conspiring to spread anarchy and violence in the country.”
Asserting that people vote based on performance and not mere allegations, the BJP leader said: “The Congress has itself brought down elected government more than 50 times…Congress was the one who imposed Emergency, and now they are talking about democracy!”
Chouhan underlined that a clean voter list is the “spirit of democracy” and questioned why objections are being raised over the process.
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s earlier ‘anti-incumbency’ remarks against the BJP, he remarked: “The reality is ‘anti-INC’ exists within the INDIA bloc.”
