BJP hits back; says Rahul telling white lies, should apologise to people

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 19

Launching a scathing counter-attack against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the BJP termed as “white lies” his today’s offensive against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.

(Video: BJP hits back at Congress)

Hours after the Congress leader alleged that the Prime Minister had taken “credit from corporate groups” to run his Lok Sabha campaign, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad asked him to apologise to the nation for insulting the popular mandate of the people of India.

The senior BJP leader also raised a question mark on Rahul Gandhi’s political efficacy and asked him and his mother — Congress president Sonia Gandhi — to explain the “Robert Vadra model of land acquisition”.

“Today, Rahul Gandhi said big corporates had given money to Narendra Modi to run his election campaign. By saying so he has insulted the verdict given by the people of India in the favour of the BJP.

“After 30 years, people of India gave such a clear verdict (in favour of BJP). He (Rahul Gandhi) must apologise to the people of the country for insulting popular mandate.

“We condemn this brazen contempt against people’s mandate. India is not a monarchy. India is run by a government led by popular choice. People’s mandate was in favour of a government led by Narendra Modi and we will not let Rahul Gandhi insult the people of India,” he said.

Defending the NDA government’s move to bring the Land Ordinance, Prasad said if the government had not done so farmers would not have become entitled to four times compensatory benefits. “We have already specified that land for corporate and private purposes will be acquired as per the 2013 Act. Rahul Gandhi is speaking a white lie when he says that changes are being made to benefit corporate houses and private players. For private purposes the 2013 Law will apply. Moreover, if the UPA’s Land Bill was so good, why did Congress CMs criticise it,” he said.

Raising a question mark on his political career, Prasad also wanted to know how long will the Congress continue to “package and re-package” Gandhi? “You (Rahul Gandhi) campaigned in Haryana, UP, Bihar Maharashtra and you lost them all and you are saying this. Will there be a repackaging after every defeat,” he wondered.

“Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have said many things about Gujarat Model today. We would like to know about the Vadra Model of Land Acquisition. How the land of small and marginal farmers in Haryana and Rajasthan was usurped using the state apparatus to ensure windfall gains to a member of their family (Robert Vadra),” he said.

According to Prasad, what Modi said in Toronto that a scam-ridden India was moving on to become a skill-driven India was absolutely correct. “What is so wrong in what he said, especially after the unearthing of coal and the telecom scams in the UPA regime. Earlier it was scam India and now it is transparent India,” he said.

“World Bank and IMF are also saying that India’s growth with supersede China,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to Prasad, the BJP did not consider Rahul Gandhi a threat. “If he speaks falsehood we have the right to clarify. We do not consider Rahul Gandhi as a threat to the BJP,” he said.