Cong fascist and intolerant: BJP

With its chief Nitin Gadkari having come under strong attack from the Congress,the BJP went on an offensive.

With its chief Nitin Gadkari having come under strong attack from the Congress,the BJP on Thursday went on an offensive against the ruling party calling it fascist and intolerant.

Rejecting Congresss demand for an apology for his remarks on Sonia Gandhi,it said his observation was apt and asserted that it was the Congress which should apologise for using terms like merchant of death and man-eater against a popular chief minister.

Also,the BJP continued its attack on Home Minister P Chidambaram saying the Finance Minister had put a stamp of approval on allocation of 2G spectrum by former Telecom Minister A Raja at 2001 prices causing a loss to the exchequer. This is not a case of ignorance or innocence but a classic case of complicity. We reiterate our demand for Chidambarams resignation for his complicity, BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said.

Coming out in support of Gadkari,the BJP said his observation that Gandhis claim of fighting corruption was similar to that of Pakistans assurance with regard to terrorism was very apt. It is a factual statement. We understand the remark has stung the Congress really hard. We can only say truth is bitter and it hurts. The Gandhi family and the Congress are not honest in fighting and eradicating corruption, party spokesperson J P Nadda said. He said the language used by the Congress against Gadkari reflected the partys mindset and shows its level of intolerance.

This may be the kind of terminology that they use in their everyday life, he said.

Nadda said instead of asking the BJP to apologise,the Congress should offer an apology for calling a chief minister merchant of death,man-eater and Dawood Ibrahim. They should apologise for calling BJP a party of dancers,insulting sadhus and sants,using brutal force against peaceful satyagrahis at the Ramlila grounds,delaying the disposal of the mercy plea of Afzal Guru and encouraging separatists, he said.

Attacking Chidambaram,Javadekar claimed that the Finance Ministry had till December 2007 insisted that 2G spectrum licenses should not be allocated at 2001 prices. But Chidambaram suddenly changed his stand in January 2008. He should answer our straight question as to why he suddenly changed his stand8230; and explain the deal for this sudden change of heart, he said.

Gadkari is RSS puppet,says Cong

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Continuing its attack on BJP chief Nitin Gadkari for the second consecutive day,the Congress on Thursday called him a puppet of the RSS without whose support he would be consigned to the dustbin of politics and history. This came a day after Gadkari attacked Congress chief Sonia Gandhi,comparing her resolve to fight corruption with Pakistan saying it was combating terrorism.

Reiterating its demand for an apology from Gadkari,Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said,Its repeated behaviour of Gadkari who is no more than the puppet of the RSS and who cannot control factionalism in his own party. Every BJP chief minister is a fascist and despot in his own state. The moment the RSS withdraws its support,he will be consigned to the dustbin of politics and history. He is not worth being made the president of a national party. His CMs blackmail him.