The former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday termed the results of the Assembly byelections in Karnataka and Gujarat as a “slap on the face of the Congress” as it drew a blank in both the States.
Mr. Naidu told presspersons here that results indicated that the people had rejected the negative politics practised by the Congress and had taught a lesson to the Congress for misusing the Raj Bhavan in Karnataka and the Central Bureau of Investigation in Gujarat.
He said: “In Karnataka, the Congress had raised a hue and cry and levelled false allegations against the Government on illegal mining. The Legislative Assembly was turned into a battleground and Congress leaders took out a padayatra. “The Union Ministers who participated in the rally had even threatened the State Government. Even the Governor is dabbling in politics. All these have boomeranged on the Congress.”
On the style of functioning of Governor H.R. Bhardwaj, he said it was the first time that he had come across a Governor criticising a political party by taking its name. “If that is the case, he should become the Congress spokesperson instead of continuing as Governor,” Mr. Naidu said and hoped that the Centre and the Governor would realise their constitutional responsibilities.
The BJP leader said that nobody could save the Congress if did not correct its political approach by shunning negative politics. The Congress should respect the spirit of the people's verdict and behave as a responsible Opposition.\ The Congress had lost a series of elections, including elections to the Delhi University after the “youth leader” and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi emerged on the political scene.
Kashmir issue
Mr. Naidu said the BJP did not want to precipitate the issue related to handling of Kashmir by the Centre at this juncture as its priority was to ensure that normalcy was restored in the valley. On the proposed visit of all-party team to Kashmir to hold talks with the leaders there, he said the BJP's stand was that talks could be held with anybody if they believed in the Constitution.
