'CPI(M), Congress leaders are experts in corruption,' says JP Nadda in poll-bound Tripura

Nadda's attack came a day after the CPI(M) called for unity of all Opposition parties including Congress and Tipra Motha

A day after CPI(M) called for unity of all Opposition parties including Congress for the upcoming Assembly elections in Tripura, BJP president JP Nadda attacked the two parties alleging that violence and corruption were the main highlights when the two parties were in power, both at the Centre and in Tripura.

"The CPI(M) government meant rape, murder, bandh, collection of money and attacks on the Opposition workers. But the BJP government means highways, internet, railways, better hospitals, corruption free government and much more. Can a Congress leader stand here and talk about the stories of development during their government? They can talk about corruption, their leaders have expertise in corruption," Nadda said on Thursday while addressing a rally in Agartala as part of BJP's "Jan Biswas Yatra."

Home Minister Amit Shah launched the yatra on January 5 as part of BJP's preparation for the Assembly elections slated for next month. The yatra, under which many senior BJP leaders addressed rallies in parts of Tripura, concluded on Thursday.

Also Read | Tripura Assembly polls: All polling stations to have central security forces to prevent violence, says EC

"There was large-scale corruption in the implementation of the MGNREGA. Officials and staff were involved in corruption. But after the Narendra Modi-led government came to power in 2014, it was decided to deposit the wages directly to bank accounts and remove the scope for corruption. During the CPI(M) government, under the PDS, only rice, kerosene and wheat were given. But now PDS card holders are getting rice, sugar, soyabean, kerosene and wheat. Mustard oil and spices will also be given under the PDS in the coming days," Nadda
said.

No political violence

Alleging that political violence was the order of the day under the CPI(M) government, Nadda claimed that there were no such attacks or violence since BJP came to power in Tripura in 2018. The CPI(M) was in power for 25 years in Tripura till 2018 when BJP and its ally IPFT formed their first government.

The CPI(M) leader Jitendra Choudhury on Wednesday said that although BJP leaders claimed that there was no political violence during their tenure, the reports of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) exposed how Tripura topped the list of political violence, even last year.

Also Read | Don't let days of bloodshed return to Tripura: Himanta Sarma to voters

The Opposition parties even told the Election Commission on Wednesday that BJP workers had attacked their members, vandalised their offices and stopped them from organising party meetings but the state police remained mute spectators. The EC later decided that central forces would be deployed in all polling stations in order to prevent violence during polling.

The CPI(M) national general secretary, Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday said that all opposition parties including Congress and Tipra Motha must get united in order to defeat BJP and its "communal politics." BJP is gearing up for the elections with an alliance with IPFT, its ally since 2018.