Attacking the Congress-led opposition for “deliberately spreading misgivings” about land bill, BJP on Friday said the party should stop finding “non-existing” faults with the government and instead concentrate on finding its leader, a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s absence.
In his inaugural address at the two-day BJP National Executive meeting, party president Amit Shah sought to rally the rank and file around the controversial bill, saying it was pro-farmer and BJP was committed to the welfare of peasants.
“Opposition has deliberately spread many misgivings about the bill which is in the interest of farmers. We will take the message to farmers. BJP is friend of farmers. It is farmers who have given us mandate.
“Opposition is desperate, hopeless and directionless. They should stop finding those faults and shortcomings which do not exist. If they have to find something, then they should try to find their leader.
“Instead of raising non-issues and fictional issues, they should find out where their leader is,” Mr. Shah said, taking a dig at the Congress over the absence of its vice-president who is on a sabbatical for introspection.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, party patriarch L.K. Advani were on the dais as Mr. Shah addressed the delegates, which included 111 National Executive members besides a number of special invitees, including chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states and its state presidents.
Union minister Prakash Javadekar told media persons that the BJP president attacked Congress for fuelling “confusion” over the bill and accused it of “looting” farmers for the last 60 years by using the antiquated British law before it was replaced with The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
“They looted the farmers for 60 years using a law brought by the British. With what face now do they talk about the interest of farmers,” Mr. Javadekar said, quoting Mr. Shah’s speech.
Emphasising on the BJP government’s commitment to farmers, Mr. Shah said it fought for their interest in the WTO to ensure that they continue to enjoy Minimum Support Price fixed by the Centre and alleged that the previous UPA regime had agreed to stop giving MSP after 2016.
“We fought against it and ensured that the WTO agreed to it,” he said.
'Jungle raj-2' has returned to Bihar
Claiming that “ jungle raj-2 ” has returned to Bihar after the break-up of its alliance with JD(U), BJP struck a confident note that people of the state would give it the mandate in the Assembly elections due later this year.
“After the separation what has happened is that jungle raj-2 has returned to Bihar,” Mr. Shah said.
“This is jungle raj-2 and therefore people of Bihar are very angry and upset. They want a new government led by BJP,” Mr. Shah said.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad’s rule was often derided as “ jungle raj ” by the BJP-JD(U) combine but JD(U) and RJD have joined hands after their rout in Lok Sabha elections, targeting BJP as their common enemy.
In a bitter attack on JD(U), Mr. Shah accused it of having ditched people’s mandate by breaking the alliance.
“Last time the people of Bihar had given mandate to BJP and JD(U) because we were in alliance, but JD(U) ditched people’s mandate and went out of the alliance.
“So, it is they who have betrayed,” Mr. Shah was quoted as saying by Union Minister Prakash Javdekar who briefed the media.
BJP was sure that the people of Bihar would give a mandate to the party in the elections later this year, Mr. Shah said.
The BJP-JD(U) alliance had come to a bitter end after Modi was projected as prime ministerial candidate with Nitish Kumar, who was also reported to be nursing an ambition for the top post, unhappy over it.
Nitish Kumar had, however, met Mr. Modi recently after his return as Bihar Chief Minster in their first-ever encounter, described as a “courtesy call”.
