Accusing Congress of indulging in "petty politics" during COVID-19 crisis, BJP President J P Nadda on Sunday asked it to take 'tuition' from his party on how to conduct as the opposition during such situations.
Addressing the Karnataka Jana Samvada virtual rally through video conference, he also hit out at its leader Rahul Gandhi over his comments during a conversation with former US diplomat Nicholas Burns and said Congress should worry about its "changing DNA".
Nadda said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been leading the country from the front in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and the world had acknowledged it. "Modi has fought from the front... world has recognised the way Modi has led the country during COVID with bold and timely decisions," he said.
The Prime Minister was taking along everyone in the fight against corona. "If there is any prime minister in the country whose words people have obeyed with respect, after Shastri ji (Lal Bahadur Shahstri) it is Narendra Modi," Nadda said. People of the country followed his words religiously when he gave the call for Janata Curfew, they came out to clap for COVID warriors and to light lamps, the BJP chief pointed out.
Nadda lauded the six year-NDA rule under Modi, stating that the 'gap' of six decades had been 'bridged' in six years and the first year of his term was full of achievements, including removal of triple talaq and bringing in Citizenship Amendment Act. "A gap of six decades has been bridged in six years under the dynamic leadership of Narendra Modi...ahead of Modi's takeover, the country was going through policy paralysis, crumbled administration and was synonymous with corruption, in six years, he has restored India's pride," Nadda said.
Highlighting abrogation of Article 370 as another achievement of the Modi government, Nadda said people of Jammu and Kashmir were happy with the decision. Earlier even corruption was not getting probed there. Now that the Prevention of Corruption Act has come into effect in the Union Territory, inquiry into the Jammu and Kashmir Bank fraud has begun, and the guilty will be sent to jail, he said. Hitting out at the opposition, Nadda termed as "irresponsible" their conduct during the COVID crisis.
"I'm saying this with pain that when the whole country is fighting against COVID, the opposition has been framing a strategy to weaken the nation though its video conferencing," he said. Maintaining that BJP during its long opposition stint had always stood by the nation during crisis situations without indulging in petty politics, he said, it was unfortunate that for Congress it had always been "politics, politics and politics", not the nation. "If you don't know how to conduct as an opposition take a bit of tuition form us, we will teach you," he added.
For the BJP the country was bigger than the party, he said adding for them (Congress) party was bigger than the nation. Even during crises, they were involved in doing politics. "I feel sorry about it, such an irresponsible action of opposition is condemnable," he told the virtual rally attended among others by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Union Ministers Nirmala Sitaraman, D V Sadananda Gowda, Pralhad Joshi and also party state chief Nalin Kumar Katel.
Questioning Congress' leaders' comments against the imposition of lockdown, he said their party ruled states Rajasthan and Punjab were the first to implement it. Even when it was, relaxed they had a problem with it.
Hitting back Rahul Gandhi for his comments that DNA of openness and tolerance that India was known for has "disappeared", Nadda asked, "are you forgetting, who is becoming intolerant, do you remember emergency?" "Don't worry about the country's DNA, worry about Congress' changing DNA, if you keep this in mind it will be good for your health and country's political health," he added.
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