BJP govt made big promises but none materialised, says Ashok Gehlot

Citing massive resentment among people against the BJP government, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Thursday Narendra Modi will not become Prime Minister in the next elections.

“Achhe din aa rahe hai, Modi ja rahe hai (good days are coming, Modi is going),” Gehlot said, in a jibe on Modi’s pre-poll slogan in 2014, ‘achhe din aa rahe hai’ (good days are coming).

He said Modi and current Rajasthan chief minister, Vasundhara Raje, were making big announcements but none have materialised. The government has not been able to come up with firm policies and programmes, he alleged.

Taking credit for the peaceful protest on April 10 Bharat Bandh, Gehlot said the mass fasting observed by Congressmen across the country made people shun violence.

Calling BJP anti-Dalit and anti-reservation, the AICC general secretary said, “I have been tracking BJP for the last 45 years. They were against Dalits and Mahatma Gandhi, but today they are taking the names of personalities such as Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The day is not far when they will call Jawaharlal Nehru their leader.”

He said observing fast was taught by Gandhi, and today they are remembering this. “Has the BJP ever observed a fast?” he asked.

Accusing the saffron party of being a fascist party which does not believe in democracy, Gehlot said now they were doing BJP’s “Congressikaran” (Congress-isation) by poaching Congress leaders.

He cited the example of Arunachal Pradesh, where ruling party leaders switched to BJP and brought the party to power without winning elections.

Gehlot also challenged RSS, the ideological mentor of BJP, to come out in the open to fight elections with BJP on the grounds of ideology, instead of calling itself an organisation for the protection of cultural values.

He also said people had taught the BJP a lesson in the recent elections in Gujarat and bypolls in other states.