Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the BJP accusing the ruling party at the Centre of destroying democratic, ethnic and social fabric of the nation. He said the BJP leaders were not fit to question the democratic values of the Congress and the Congress Working Committee.
Reacting sharply to Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on the Congress on the 45th anniversary of Emergency, Mr. Gehlot said the “insecurities and fear” of both Mr. Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were evident because only the Congress had the courage and strength to take on the “tyranny of the current regime”.
“I am not surprised to see that of all the Opposition parties, Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah are worried only about the Congress,” Mr. Gehlot tweeted, affirming that it was the Congress which had built, protected and nourished democracy.
The Chief Minister said India was the only robustly functioning and flourishing democracy in South Asian region, thanks to the magnanimous role played by the Congress in the 70 years of history of the nation. “May we know why there is no one beyond Modi-Shah in the BJP? Apart from three to four Ministers, the public do not even know who all are there in Mr. Modi’s Cabinet.”
Mr. Gehlot said Mr. Shah along with Mr. Modi had hijacked the BJP and the NDA government, with no breather for other leaders. He cited veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani’s observations in 2015 that the forces that could crush democracy were stronger and the Emergency could happen again.
“It is no secret that for the last three decades, no one from the Gandhi family has held any position of power. They have always encouraged and empowered the cadre and ground workers like me... If at all we are disconnected with public, why is Mr. Shah so worried?”
