Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday castigated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his assertion that the Congress-led UPA would return to power in the 2014 lok Sabha polls despite the scams rocking its Government at the Centre, saying that the latter’s statement lacked sensitivity.
Naidu said that it was shocking to note the Prime Minister is saying that the UPA had won in spite of the scams in 2009 and that it would emerge victorious in the 2014 elections despite the scams. “It only goes to show the lack of sensitivity (on the part of the PM),” he said.
“…Please do not underestimate the wisdom of the people and do not take them for granted... Your party will be doomed. They (the people) are waiting to throw Congress out of power,” Naidu told the PM.
Hitting out at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for “raising communal issues”, Naidu charged that unable to counter the BJP’s development agenda and the leadership of Narendra Modi, the ruling party was resorting to divisive and vote-bank politics to destroy the nation. “The Congress which is rattled with the growing upsurge of Modi, is once again back to its old game of raising communal issues,” the BJP leader said.
“The Congress is the mother of hate and divisive politics in India. How can the PM or the Congress Vice President criticise BJP on that countIJ It is their divisive agenda and vote bank politics that has led to this tension in the country,” he said.
Daring the ruling UPA for a debate with his party on development and performance, Naidu said: “We challenge the Congress — if you have political guts join us in a debate on development — your (UPA) and our (NDA) performance and that of BJP-ruled and Congress-ruled States”.
Accusing the Congress of indulging in the “divisive agenda” since the pre-independence days and pursuing it with renewed vigour to cater to its vote bank politics, Naidu said: “Having failed on all the promises it made to the country and not being able to satisfactorily explain to the people about its failures, the Congress is trying to divert attention of the people from the developmental agenda and then raking up communal issues to derive political dividends”.
Citing instances of “divisive politics” of the Congress over the years, Naidu wondered: “Who is now proposing Communal Violence Bill suggesting that no member of a majority community can ever be a victim and assuming that communal offences are always committed by the members from majorityIJ”
Averring that the Congress “has allowed, encouraged and given respectability to casteist and communal forces in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Kerala”, Naidu said: “The Congress’ criticism of BJP is like the devil quoting scriptures… The divisive agenda being pursued by the Congress will “boomerang” on the UPA”.