Surjewala: Defeat in Karnataka will herald BJP's 'vanvaas'

The BJP's nationwide fast led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will result in the saffron party's sanyaas (renunciation) in the Karnataka Assembly elections followed by vanvaas (exile) in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, AICC national spokesperson Randeep S Surjewala said on Thursday.

"The time for upvas (fasting) is over. The time for sanyaas from seat of power begins with a defeat in Karnataka and culminate in vanvaas in 2019," Surjewala told reporters here.

He was reacting to BJP Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members observing a fast all over India on Thursday to condemn the disruption of Parliament sessions by the Congress. BJP president Amit Shah, who was campaigning in the Bombay-Karnataka region, held a fast in Dharwad.

"It's an absurd drama of photo-ops because Modi had breakfast on-board his flight and Shah had lunch after upvas. For a party that disrupted 66.88% of the total functioning time of the previous Lok Sabha (2009-14) and wasted 250 functioning hours of the Budget session by engineering disruptions, Modi and the BJP should tender an unconditional apology for dishonouring democracy," Surjewala said.

The AICC communications chief also lambasted Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Bangalore South MP Ananth Kumar. "Why was the Finance Bill passed in just 18 minutes with 218 amendments and funding for 99 ministries? Is this a mockery of Parliament?" he asked Ananth Kumar. Surjewala also pointed out that four no-confidence motions were not allowed because the BJP was "scared of defeat in a series of elections lined up."

Defending the Congress government's decision to grant the 'religious minority' tag to the Lingayats, Surjewala said: "It was a genuine, bona fide and historically-proven aspirational demand that was addressed."

Surjewala steered clear when asked if Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was the party's chief ministerial face. "He's the captain of the team and our opening batsman. It is under his leadership that the Congress will fight the May 12 polls."