The war of words between the BJP and Congress turned bitter on Monday with the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi launching a scathing attack against each other.
While Modi raked up the issue of Italian marines to hit Sonia, the Congress chief accused his party of misleading the people to grab the Prime Minister’s post. Addressing a rally in Arunachal Pradesh’s capital Itanagar, Modi referred to the UPA Government’s alleged soft-pedalling of the cases against the Italian marines facing murder charges and said the people of India did not need a lesson in patriotism from the Congress leader.
“Two Indian fishermen in Kerala were shot dead by two Italian marines. I want to know, under whose instructions the two marines were allowed to escape from IndiaIJ” asked Modi while attacking the Congress chairperson.
“I want to know who was running the Government in New Delhi when the incident took place and who allowed the two Italian marines to go back to Italy after committing such a crimeIJ Had there been no intervention by the Supreme Court later, Italy would not have sent back the two marines to face trial in India,” said Modi. He added that the people of India did not want a lesson on patriotism from the Congress chairperson.
Modi’s reaction came a day after Sonia slammed the saffron party as one that preaches hatred and said that the party has been “beating its own drum” to prove itself as the only patriotic political outfit in the country. Sonia had said this while addressing a rally in Assam on Sunday.
Modi also expressed grief over the recent killing of a student from the State, Nido Taniam in New Delhi and questioned the role of the Central Government over the issue. “I am deeply pained when our brothers from the North-East are targeted in Delhi and other places. But why did Madam Sonia and the shehzada not speak even a single word to comfort the family of the victim,” Modi said.
Hours after Modi’s attack on her, Sonia hit back at the BJP leader. Referring to Modi Sonia said the BJP’s only goal is to grab the Prime Minister’s chair for which it was “misleading people” and shedding crocodile tears.
“They (BJP) have only one target, that is, the PM’s chair and for that they are misleading people. These days BJP leaders are changing their disguise and shedding crocodile tears,” Gandhi said, firing a fresh salvo at Modi at a rally in Mewat, Haryana.
Gandhi also said that the upcoming lok Sabha election was not just about development of the country, and added that the Congress was fighting to safeguard the secular values enshrined in the Constitution which “our freedom fighters, our forefathers have bestowed on us after much struggle and suffering.”
“This Constitution recognises our secular values and teaches us how to respect them,” she said. Sonia went on to say that the Congress would fight for a country which was not just for a few but a country which belongs to everyone and where everyone enjoys equal rights.
“We will fight for a country where it is not important what our religion, language, place of birth or caste is. We will fight for a country which is secular and where it is important that we all are Indians,” she said.
The UPA chairperson said no other Government has undertaken as much developmental activities during the last ten years as the Manmohan Singh Government has, including in the backward region of Mewat.
“You can see the changes which have taken place here (Mewat) if you compare the development with the previous Government here, be it giving backward region status, providing drinking water facilities or developing a separate cadre for teachers and doctors,” she said.
She said the Congress manifesto also promises right to health for everyone, even as it has fulfilled its promises on rural job scheme, implementation of Right to Education and RTI, besides stringent laws to stop violence against women.