BJP spreads hatred, NCP hungry for power: Sonia, maharashtra assembly elections 2014, Maharashtra election news updates, Maharashtra political news, latest and political news 2014
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- Category: Maharashtra Political News
- Last Updated: Thursday, 22 January 2015 21:05
BJP spreads hatred, NCP hungry for power: Sonia
Kolhapur/Aurangabad (Maharashtra): Congress president Sonia Gandhi Thursday trained guns on the BJP, accusing it of "spreading hatred", ane former ally NCP ally, saying it was "power hungry".
Launching her campaign for the Oct 15 Maharashtra assembly elections, Gandhi said the only goal of the Nationalist Congress Party was "kursi" (power) for which it was ready to ally with anybody.
"For 15 years, till yesterday, they were with us... I want to warn you, Tomorrow they may join hands with anyone as their only motive is 'kursi'," Gandhi told huge rallies in these two districts of Marathwada and western Maharashtra. Her comments follow speculation that the NCP might ally with the Shiv Sena or BJP after elections although party chief Sharad Pawar has declared that his party would ally with only a secular entity.
Training guns on the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena which have also ended thier 25-year-old alliance, she pointed out that the BJP "promised the moon" but forgot everything after the Lok Sabha election.
Though the BJP and Sena may criticize each other today, they have the same roots, Gandhi said, a clear response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charge that the Congress and NCP may have split but have the same 'gotra' (lineage). "Beware of the BJP... their only aim to spread hatred in society for grabbing power," Gandhi said.
Responding to Modi's question as to what the Congress did for India for 60 years, Gandhi sought to recount the party's contribution over the decades for India's all-round progress and development.
"When Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation of Bhakra Nangal Dam, those making tall claims (of development) were just five years old. When Indira Gandhi launched the Green Revolution, they were only 13 years old. When Rajiv Gandhi started the IT revolution, these very people opposed him," she said to loud applause.
Over the years, India became a nuclear power and even undertood a mission to the moon, she added, listing the Congress achievements. On the contrary, the Modi government was pursuing the same schemes of the erstwhile UPA government though the BJP had ridiculed them before, she added.
Continuing to attack Modi, she said Maharashtra was far ahead of Gujarat, which he had ruled for more than a decade, in virtually all sectors. "Before elections, they make tall promises - as they did during the Lok Sabha polls. What happened to the promise of controlling inflation in 100 days?
"They had promised to give a befitting reply to Pakistan, but what happened even as Pakistan continues violating the ceasefire and firing on the Indian side leading to many casualties? "They take the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji during elections. But when our government proposed a statue of the warrior king on the Arabian Sea, they opposed it," Gandhi said, accusing the BJP-Sena of doublespeak.
She also wondered why the Modi government had apprehensions about giving the account of his 100 days in office though he keeps criticizing the Congress by alleging that it did "nothing for 60 years". Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addressed two rallies in the state Wednesday and is slated to address two more in Nashik and Pune Friday.