Union Minister Uma Bharti on Saturday lashed out at the Congress leadership for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh political crisis, saying the Congress High Command has no right to talk on the issue as the party had dismissed BJP-led State Governments after demolition of the Babri Mosque.
The Water Resources Minister also sought to underscore that the collapse of Congress-led Governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand was triggered by its own party MlAs rebelling and “not by the BJP” and asked the Opposition party to “manage its own home first”. Targeting Modi over the developments in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi during his West Bengal Assembly election rally accused Modi of trying to kill democracy in the country.
“As far as Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are concerned, I will remind Rahul and Sonia Gandhi that when the December 6 episode had occurred, neither the Chief Ministers nor Ministers of (BJP-ruled) Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were present in Ayodhya. Nor any MlA had rebelled. All BJP MlAs were with their Governments, yet these Governments were dismissed by Congress and then elections were held there. Sonia and Rahul should not forget, their memory may be weak, but not that of people of the country,” Bharti said on the sidelines of briefing about “India Water Week”, scheduled next week.
Bharti maintained that BJP came to the fore in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to “ensure peace and development” only after Congress legislators defected from their parent party. Further hitting out at the top Congress leaders, the Minister referred to days of Emergency to State that the Congress chief and her party vice-president son have “no right” to talk about democracy or autonomy States.
While briefing about India Water Week, Uma Bharti also urged the Congress president to ask her party men to co-operate with the Government over Damanganga — Pinjal river linking project as it is in the interest of people and not the BJP.
Making the announcement of the fourth edition of India Water Week from April 4-8, the Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation said the theme for this year’s India Water week is “Water for all: Striving together”. The Minister informed that Israel will be associated as the partner country for this mega event. Partner country Israel will organise various sessions at the event to be held at Pragati Maidan.
She also said that a central fact-finding committee will visit Maharashtra’s latur district to study the severe water crisis there and find ways to tackle the problem.