Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 23 said the joint Opposition meet in Patna was merely a “photo session” and that the parties could never come together on a common platform.
Speaking at a government function to inaugurate a forensic laboratory and other development projects in Jammu, Mr. Shah said people had already decided that the Narendra Modi government would return to power in 2024 with more than 300 seats.
Mr. Shah said the Opposition deliberately chose the day to hold the meeting knowing well that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to the U.S. He said agreements were signed between India and the U.S. in the fields of space, defence and, semiconductors, and that many big companies were eager to invest in India.
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The Minister said the previous UPA government was involved in “scams” worth ₹12 lakh crore and attacked the National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party and the Congress, asking who would take responsibility for the death of 42,000 people due to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Riddled with contradictions
Bharatiya Janata Party president J. P. Nadda said the Opposition huddle was opportunistic and riddled with contradictions.
“I was surprised as all Opposition party leaders are embracing each other and meeting in Patna on June 23. It reminded me of my childhood days as I had my birth and schooling in Patna. It is the same Lalu Prasad Yadav who was sent to jail for 22 months by Indira Gandhi, grandmother of Rahul Gandhi, and it is Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was sent to jail for 20 months by Mrs Gandhi,” Mr. Nadda said, addressing a public meeting at Kalahandi in Odisha.
“When I see the images of Rahul Gandhi being welcomed in Patna, I wonder how politics has changed...where they started and where have they landed now,” he said
“Now, Uddhav Thackeray is in Patna. His father Hindu Samrat Balasahab Thackeray used to say he would never let Shiv Sena become Congress and he would rather close his shop if he had to align with Congress. Now, his son is closing down his shop. It is a strange politics,” Mr. Nadda said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the country a new political culture. He has rescued the country from dynastic and vote-bank politics and put it on development path. Now, we believe in report card politics. We have delivered what we had promised and we will surely deliver what we are promising now,” Mr. Nadda said.
Criticising the politics of Congress, he said, “Congress persons are complete illiterates. They are trying to mislead people through their evil politics. They speak of poverty. Now, the poverty level has come down below 10%. Despite COVID-19 and Ukraine-Russia war, India’s growth rate stood at 8.7%.”
Similarly, India’s inflation rate was among the lowest in the world, the BJP president said, calling upon Congress leaders to participate in political discourse with statistics.
Commenting on the PM’s U.S. visit, the BJP president said Mr. Modi wanted India to be recognised as a developed nation and not a developing nation and he was being praised by world leaders and economists for his leadership in the country.
Mr. Nadda also highlighted achievements of the Modi government. “It gives me immense pleasure to share that during the past nine years ₹18 lakh crore has been spent on highway, railway and metro railways. This year, another ₹1 lakh crore is being spent. During the past nine years, the national highways have been expanded by 54,000 km and metro rail by 616 km,” he said.
“Prior to 2014, only five km of railway line used to be laid per day; it is 14.3 km now. Similarly, NH construction has gone past 29 km per day from 12 km prior to 2014. In 70 years, 74 airports were built, while the Modi government has come up with 74 airports only in ne years. It is picture of India which is getting transformed,” he said.
Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister, also highlighted PM Modi’s visit to U.S.
