Congress became mentally, ideologically bankrupt in its lust for power: Nadda
Nadda said that it is the BJP that is committed to protect the identity, tradition, culture and language of different communities of Assam.
BJP President J P Nadda on Friday accused the Congress of indulging in the "politics of opportunism" and has become mentally and ideologically bankrupt in its lust for power. Addressing election rallies in three constituencies going to polls in the third and final phase in Assam, Nadda claimed that the Congress has forged alliances with "communal" forces and its relationship with the Left parties changes from state to state. "The Congress is mentally bankrupt and follows the policy of political opportunism and I as the BJP's national president say this with full responsibility.
"The Congress is ideologically bankrupt. It is the oldest party of the country and, without any hesitation, has aligned with some communal parties for the sake of coming to power," he said. He said that the Congress has the audacity to accuse the BJP of being communal when it itself has aligned with the Muslim League in Kerala, the Indian Secular Front (ISF) in West Bengal and the Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam.
The CPI(M)-headed Left Front and the Congress have joined hands with the newly-formed ISF floated by Abbas Siddiqui, an influential Muslim cleric, in West Bengal.
"It is the Congress which is communal. Its leaders are now going to temples during elections but did not do it in the last 50 years," Nadda said.
"If the party was sincere and followed the path of honest religious practices earlier, it would not have been in such a pathetic situation that it needed to align with these forces now," he said.
The BJP president also said that in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is reciting 'Chandipath', an ode to goddess Durga, in election rallies.
He said that the Congress fighting the Left parties in Kerala but has joined hands with them in Assam and West Bengal. "What kind of an election is this? They are wrestling in this side of the country and embracing each other in that side. This is why I am saying that the oldest party in the country has become ideologically bankrupt," Nadda said. In Assam, former Congress chief minister, the late Tarun Gogoi, had once dismissed Ajmal but now party leader Rahul Gandhi says he is Assam's identity and Gogoi's son does not hesitate to embrace him, the BJP chief said.
Gogoi's son Gaurav is a Congress MP.
"Can Ajmal be Assam's identity when he does not hesitate to insult Assam's pride and tradition - the gamosa (traditional towel)?" Nadda said.
Ajmal was seen throwing a gamosa at a person on stage during an election rally.
"Assam's identity is linked with Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva, brave Ahom General Lachit Barphukan and Bharat Ratnas Gopinath Bordoloi and Bhupen Hazarika and the people of Assam will never forgive those who insult their culture and tradition," he said.
Terming Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as political tourists in Assam, Nadda said that they come during elections, enjoy their trips and photography sessions and return.
"Rahul Gandhi had recently posted (on Twitter) his photographs against the backdrop of tea gardens of Assam. But it was found that the tea gardens were actually of Taiwan and Sri Lanka. He does not even have photographs of tea gardens of Assam," he said.
He accused the Congress of doing nothing for the tea garden workers of Assam for decades when it was in power while the Narendra Modi government has taken up several projects to improve their living condition and infrastructural facilities.
Nadda said that it is the BJP that is committed to protect the identity, tradition, culture and language of different communities of Assam.
The BJP president said that it was Prime Minister Modi who ensured that the road for permanent peace was paved in the state with the signing of the Bodo Accord.
The Congress failed to solve the insurgency problem for the last 50 years and thousands of people, including security personnel, were killed, he said.
"It was Modi-ji's will, Union Home Minister Amit Shah's planning and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's execution that led to peace in the state," he said.