BJP meet: Shah slams Cong’s ‘dynastic politics’

New Delhi, September 25

BJP chief Amit Shah on Monday criticised Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on dynastic politics and said the BJP believed in the politics of performance while the Congress banked on the “politics of appeasement and dynasty”.

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In his inaugural address at the BJP national executive, Shah said President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reached their position due to their work, despite their humble origins.

It was a closed door event but Union Minister Piyush Goyal briefed the media about the speech.

Taking on Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on dynasty in the country during his recent visit to the US, Shah said the Congress vice-president had undermined India.

“The Congress believes in the politics of appeasement and dynasty, whereas BJP follows politics of performance,” Goyal quoted Shah as saying.

“Both the Congress and Gandhi disapprove of the politics of performance, but BJP will continue to work for the country on the basis of such politics,” Shah said.

Discussing the economy, Shah said it had become stronger under the Narendra Modi-led government than it was under the UPA. He also elaborated on the benefits of both demonetisation and GST and explained that both the measures would curb black money and bring more transparency in the system.

The BJP chief cited various figures to make his point about economy, Goyal told reporters while briefing them on Shah’s speech.

Shah’s comments came amid the Opposition’s criticism of the government’s handling of the economy.

The Rs 60,000 crore per year the government would save through the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme would be used for welfare schemes for the poor, he said.

Praising the government over its handling of Naxalism and terrorism, Shah said more terrorists were killed in its three years of rule than any other spell of three years.

The BJP president also discussed the recent stand-off with China in Dokalam near Sikkim and said India displayed its perseverance and decisiveness to the entire world.

The party chief appreciated External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s speech at the United Nations said she had exposed Pakistan.

Attacking the TMC government in West Bengal and the Left government in Kerala for alleged political violence targeting BJP workers, Shah announced that he would launch a 15-day padyatra in Kerala from October 3.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the meeting in the evening and is expected to counter the Opposition’s criticism of the state of the economy.

Modi will also launch a new scheme for providing electricity connections to poor in the evening, Goyal said.

A key highlight of this extended national executive meeting, which began on Sunday, is the presence of the party’s elected lawmakers — close to 1,400 MLAs, 337 MPs and all MLCs — and its core group leaders from states. PTI