BJP mocks Cong's 'false bravado' rally, observes black day

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday described the Congress rally as a move to create “false bravado” by the ruling party among its workers and supporters after it failed in giving a “clean government” to the people.

The main Opposition’s Delhi unit also observed a “Black Day” to counter the Congress’s event, holding a series of protest rallies at various locations in the national capital to oppose the UPA government’s economic policies.

“This was a rally intended to create a false bravado when they have failed on the financial front and in giving a clean government. It has no idea on how to control prices and has rationalised diesel and LPG price hike. The Congress is rejoicing in the misery of the common man,” Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley charged.

The Congress did not say even a word on the issue of alleged scams in 2G spectrum allocation and coal block allocation, and those committed by “relatives and leaders and the party itself”, he added, referring to the allegations levelled against Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and son-in-law Robert Vadra.

“The government has no answer to the manufacturing jobs falling due to FDI in multi-brand retail and to the displacement of retail jobs. It says middlemen will be eliminated but this will only benefit the retailers and not the farmer. In the US and Europe, a subsidy of $1 billion per day is given to farmers due to this reason,” Jaitley said.

Attacking the Congress and UPA government, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi charged it with being insensitive to the need of the poor and enjoying the fruits of showing sensitivity to the needs of foreign and multinational companies.

“Like the buffalo enjoying her fodder, they (UPA) are enjoying their fodder of FDI, (becoming) insensitive to the needs of poor. They are sensitive only to the needs of foreign and multinational companies,” Joshi said.

He accused the ruling party of being oblivious to the widespread opposition to FDI in multi-brand retail and trying to mislead the people on the issue.

The political parties, traders and farmers’ organisations were all united in opposing the FDI which was visible in the two bharat bandhs called by the Opposition, he said, alleging that the Congress-led UPA government allowed FDI in retail under foreign pressure.