With the Congress in a spot, the BJP lost no time in welcoming senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi’s comments on Modi-Government’s “Indianness”. The BJP on Thursday said that the rebuttal of the comment by the Congress reflected its “internal rift and strife” and lack of internal democracy in the party.
The BJP praised Dwivedi and deplored the surrender of other Congressmen to “the dynasty politics.”
“Janardan Dwivedi has said absolutely right. The Modi Government has started Jan Dhan Yojana and more than 10 crore people have been covered, the BJP-led Government has been taking steps in the interest of the people, it is successful in controlling prices of essentials. Is this not IndiannessIJ” asked Union Minister and BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman here while addressing a Press conference.
She said Congress’s comments against Dwivedi reflects chaplusi (flattery) of those wedded to ‘dynasty politics’.
“People who benefited from dynastic politics are protesting … and reflecting dynastic mindset,” said Sitharaman, adding the Congress leader has been under pressure from his party to change his comments.
She said Dwivedi issued a clarification only under the party’s pressure and the Congress move to reject his comments reflects that the party is “still in denial mode” even seven months after its defeat in the parliamentary polls where the BJP bagged 281 seats while the Congress could manage only 44, its lowest tally ever.
“The Congress is denying a historic mandate given by the people to a single party in the lok Sabha elections, it’s an insult to the mandate. The Congress should come out from family politics and appreciate good works of the Government and it should play role of a constructive Opposition. The whole country will be witnessing it during the upcoming Budget Session,” Sitharaman added.
She said the Congress should respect the people’s mandate as Modi is the Prime Minister of the entire nation and not the BJP.
Asked whether Dwivedi was crossing over to the BJP, She said “whoever respects BJP’s ideology, the party will welcome him”.