Two Central Ministers and a party spokesperson Monday launched an attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his call for ‘RSS-free’ India, saying the JD(U) leader never spoke against organisations like SIMI, ISIS and leT, who spread terror and want to break the country. They also maintained that the Congress and other Opposition parties were a collection of “failed and frustrated politicians”.
The BJP asked as what role Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi would play in “the National alliance under Nitish Kumar” as “suggested by Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and Shakeel Ahmed.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu said Kumar had no qualms in joining hands with a party that ruined the country and warned public against such “casteist, communal and corrupt’ forces who are out to stop the country’s growth.”
Naidu said while BJP’s political adversaries want to have an ‘RSS-free’ India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants the country to be free from poverty, corruption and unemployment.
“Beware countrymen, the castiest, communal, corrupt are coming together. They want to stop growth of the country by forming an anti-BJP front,” he said.
IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Nitishji, RSS is a great organisation committed to India. Why do you never speak against SIMI, ISIS and leT, who spread terror and want to break India.”
Taking a swipe at anti-BJP parties wanting to get together, Naidu said, “They have no qualms in joining with the party that ruled and ruined the country. They formed a united front and became a divided front. Country has seen many fronts; they formed fronts, erected tents and left from the back.”
In a tweet, he said, “Modi ji wants Garibi Mukt Bharat, Brashtachar Mukt Bharat, Berojgari Mukt Bharat. Our opponents want to have Sangh Mukt Bharat (Modi wants India free from poverty, free from corruption, free from unemployment. Our Opponents want to have RSS-free India).”
He added, “They want RSS-free-India. They are not worried about ISI, ISIS.” Congress on Sunday backed the JD(U) chief’s call for a ‘RSS-mukt’ India, saying the saffron fountainhead was “posing a threat to the country’s unity and democracy”, while BJP had come out strongly in defence of its mentor, the RSS.
Kumar had mounted a counteroffensive against Modi for his ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ slogan, saying, “Sangh-mukt Bharat banane ke liye sabhi gair BJP parties ko ek hona hoga (to usher in a Sangh-free India all non-BJP parties will have to come together).”
BJP national secretary Srikant Sharma, however, asked as what role Congress vice-president is to play in the alliance headed by Kumar as suggested by Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and Sakeel Ahmed. Sharma sought clarification from Congress president Sonia on the issue.
Sharma said his party was unfazed by Kumar’s efforts to form a united front to counter it and that such attempts to stop the Modi Government “from working for the development of the country and for the poor will not succeed.” The are failed and frustrated politicians,” said the BJP leader.