RAIPUR, Nov 15: BJP president JP Nadda on Wednesday attacked the Congress and said the Grand Old Party had once called Lord Ram a “fictional character”, but was now seeking votes in his name.
The Congress is synonymous with “scams, embezzlement, loot and cheating”, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stands for development, empowerment of women, farmer welfare and protection of rights of deprived classes, said Nadda.
He was addressing a rally in the Arang constituency of Raipur district on the last day of campaigning for the second and final phase of Chhattisgarh assembly elections on November 17.
Related Posts:
“The Congress changes its face from time to time. Now-a-days they have become fond of Lord Ram. Some people have become ‘janeu-dhari’ (one who wears Brahminical thread). They don’t even know how it is worn. Who are these people who used to say Lord Ram in Valmiki’s Ramayan is a fictional (character). The Congress-led UPA government had given an affidavit in the court, saying Ram is fictional and there is no scientific and historical basis of his existence,” the BJP leader asserted.
The same party is now seeking votes in the name of the Hindu deity, he said.
“Nowadays they are going from temple to temple as they have understood that this country is of Ram Bhakts and to seek votes they have to take the name of Ram. They are new Ram Bhakts, but don’t even know Ram went to exile for how many years, 13 or 14,” Nadda said.
The national party used to taunt the BJP, asking it to reveal the date for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, he said.
“Now we say to them ‘Mandir wahi banayenge, 22 tarikh ko aap bhi ayenge’ (referring to the date of consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024),” he said.
Further hitting out at the country’s oldest political party, Nadda said, “Congress means corruption, scams, atrocity, snatching rights, loot and cheating, while BJP means development, growth, supporter of women empowerment, farmer welfare and protection of rights.”
Citing alleged scams during the Congress-led UPA government (2004-2014), the BJP president asked “Whether or not they had committed submarine scam, helicopter scam, coal scam?”
To this, people attending the gathering replied in the affirmative.
”The Congress neither spared the sky nor sea or land (referring to alleged scams during its rule). There is no corruption which it has not committed,” he added.
The BJP president attacked the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government over the Mahadev betting app row, liquor scam and alleged irregularities in state public service commission recruitments and cow dung procurement.
Of the 90 assembly constituencies in the state, the second phase of voting on Friday will be held in 70 of them spread across 22 districts. The first phase of voting on November 7 had covered 20 seats, most of them located in Naxalite-affected areas. (PTI)
