Leaders once jailed by Indira now welcoming Rahul: BJP president

BHUBANESWAR: Taking a dig at the meeting of opposition parties in Patna, BJP national president J P Nadda on Friday said it is ironic that Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar, who were once incarcerated by the Congress during Emergency, are now extending a warm welcome to the party's leadership in Bihar.
"They were once imprisoned by Indira Gandhi during Emergency. But now they are laying the red carpet for (her grandson) Rahul Gandhi," Nadda said while addressing a rally at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district. His statement comes on a day several opposition leaders met in Patna in their bid to forge unity to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP chief also reminded Uddhav Thackeray of his late father Balasaheb Thackeray's firm stance to dissolve Shiv Sena rather than align with the Congress. "What kind of politics is this? Uddhav has shut his father's party that stood for Hindus," he said.
In the rally organised to mark nine years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, Nadda said the PM is widely respected and held in high esteem by leaders from across the globe. "Someone is calling him a global leader, another called him a reformer-in-chief. Modiji is being referred to as boss and hero by leaders of other countries. However, when the entire world is praising him, the Congress leaders are unable to digest that."
Nadda said the Congress seems to struggle to accept the praise for Modi and seems unhappy with India's rising global prominence. "They have resorted to using derogatory names such as snake, scorpion, 'chaiwala' (tea seller), 'anpadh' (uneducated) and 'neech' (inferior) for Modi, and in the process belittle the country and its achievements," the BJP chief said.
Regardless of the statements made by Congress leaders, PM Modi's popularity will keep on growing as he enjoys the trust and affection of 140 crore people of India, the BJP president said.
He said Modi has changed the dynastic and vote bank politics in the country and replaced it with the politics of development and accountability where the government submits its report cards before the people every year.
The Congress termed Nadda's statements as panic reaction to its growing clout. "After the Congress came to power in the BJP chief's home state of Himachal Pradesh last year followed by Karnataka this year, the BJP leadership can foresee its bleak future. Nadda's statements against the Congress leadership is a reflection of that," said Sarat Pattanayak, president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee.