The Bharatiya Janata Party, said on Monday that Hindus were not a vote-bank in the country, as the Centre had not evolved any schemes for them.
“There is no such thing as a Hindu vote bank… The government of the day has done nothing for them. Is there any scheme for the Hindus?” party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi told a press conference here on Monday in response to a question. Asked what was the need for a ‘Sadbhavana’ fast, which Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi undertook, Ms. Lekhi said: “It was to end vote-bank politics.”
She refuted the Congress’ allegation that Mr. Modi had “links” with a hawala accused. At a press conference here on Monday, Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal said Mr. Modi and other BJP leaders, including Gujarat Minister Anandiben Patel, were photographed with hawala accused Afroz Hasan Fatta, a Surat resident.
Ms. Lekhi said: “In public life one gets photographed with hundreds of people, whose credentials it is not always possible to check. There is no information about the veracity of these photographs.”
On the ongoing accusations and counter-accusations regarding Robert Vadra’s land deals, Ms. Lekhi said it was wrong to counter the issue with charges of favouritism to one businessman.
The Congress has accused Mr. Modi of giving 45,000 acres of land in Gujarat to the Adani Group for Re. 1 per metre.
“It was in accordance with the Centre’s policy that marshy and unproductive land was given to not one but several industrial houses. The land was made productive by generating investments and subsequently employment. The Robert Vadra model on the other hand had no benefit for anyone or any value creation. Sonia and Priyanka are answerable,” she said.
On the possibility of Mr. Vadra being jailed if Mr. Modi became PM, Ms. Lekhi said: “You cannot pinpoint a person by name and say he or she will go to jail. That is cheap politics. Scamsters should be brought to book.”
