‘A pack of wolves whose prey is India’: BJP dismisses Oppn unity meet, says won’t dent Modi

Irani, who defeated Rahul Gandhi from Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, said the Congress is seeking the support of other parties as it is “incapable of defeating PM Modi alone”. She added that it was “ironic” that some of the leaders who had witnessed “the murder of democracy” during the Emergency had assembled under the Congress’s parasol in Patna.

“I want to express gratitude to the Congress for openly announcing that it is incapable of defeating Modi alone. It needs support. Power has moved from palaces to the people. That is why those who take pride in their political legacy will now have to go to those they had put behind bars during the Emergency,” Irani said.

While slamming the TMC in West Bengal, Irani repeated the West Bengal Chief Minister’s name for impact. “It is ironical that TMC workers today witnessed bonhomie between Mamata Bandopadhyay and the Communist party, whose leadership was known for dragging Mamata Bandopadhyay by her hair, especially when she had tried to speak for the people of Bengal. It is ironical that the Congress leadership at the Centre shakes hands with Mamata Bandopadhyay, the TMC leader whose hands are sullied with the blood of Congress workers in the state of West Bengal,” Irani said.

The BJP leader also recalled the strained ties between the Congress and the DMK, now allies in a coalition government in Tamil Nadu. “It is known that in the late 1990s, the Congress leadership had accused the DMK leadership of contributing to the circumstances that led to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. It begs the question: at what cost will the Gandhi family do its politics,” she said.

“While the nation has recently witnessed Mamata Bandopadhyay paying tribute to [RJD leader] Laluji, I am sure neither the nation nor Laluji has forgotten how Mamata Bandopadhyay presented a white paper, describing in detail Laluji’s failings as a central minister,” she added.

The Union Minister also referred to the TMC supremo’s recent swipe at Congress scion Rahul Gandhi. “Mamata Bandopadhyay was extremely prophetic when she said that with Rahul Gandhi as leader, Narendra Modi getting elected as Prime Minister again is a certainty,” she said

The MP from Amethi also took a dig at the AAP distancing itself from the nascent coalition. Alleging that the AAP was blackmailing the Congress, she said: “At the beginning itself, the AAP blackmailing the Congress is proof of what will happen to this unholy alliance.”

She also attacked PDP leader and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who said on Friday that the Opposition won’t allow Gandhi’s country to turn into Godse’s country. “Mehbooba Mufti and Sonia Gandhi should clarify whether their families want to divide the country again.”

Other top BJP leaders also played down the Opposition unity meeting, with Home Minister Amit Shah saying this unity was “nearly impossible”, and calling it a mere “photo opportunity” while addressing a rally in Jammu. Shah also slammed Rahul, saying he had the habit of criticising everything, and said Modi would return to power with more than 300 seats.

While addressing a rally in Bhawanipatna of Odisha’s Kalahandi district, BJP chief J P Nadda said, “Strange things are happening in politics today. Leaders jailed by Indira Gandhi have now joined hands with her grandson, Rahul Gandhi.” He pointed out that RJD supremo Lalu Prasad was jailed for 22 months, while JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar was behind bars for 20 months during Emergency.

“I saw Uddhav Thackeray reaching Patna to attend the Opposition meeting. His father, ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’ Balasaheb Thackeray, was opposed to the Congress all along. Balasaheb had once said he will shut the ‘dukaan’ (referring to his political party, the Shiv Sena) rather than join the Congress. Now, his son is shutting down the ‘dukaan’,” Nadda said.

With PTI inputs