Kolkata rally an anti-Modi exercise, says BJP: Rudy calls Shatrughan an 'opportunistic'

TNN Bureau. Updated: 1/19/2019 7:56:42 PM National

New Delhi, Jan 19 (UNI) The BJP on Saturday said the Kolkata rally attended among others by the opposition leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, N Chandrababu Naidu and H D Deve Gowda only reflect "contradiction and conflict".

"Today's opposition rally in Kolkata is an anti-Modi exercise," BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters here.

Another BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad termed the rally organised by the Trinamool Congress as a "rally of rank opportunist elements".

Mr Prasad said many of the proposed Gathbandhan leaders who shared the stage at Kolkata's Brigade ground on Saturday also face serious corruption charges.

The Mahagathbandhan thus is also an effort to save the corrupt, he said.

In his Silvassa rally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also maintained that "My (his government's) actions against corruption have infuriated some people. It is but natural for them to get angry as I have prevented them from looting public money. Consequently, they have now formed an alliance called Mahagathbandhan".

Addressing a media conference in Delhi, BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the Kolkata rally attended among others by the likes of Sharad Pawar, N Chandrababu Naidu and H D Deve Gowda only reflect "contradiction and conflict".

"This is a stage of contradiction and conflict.............The rally in Kolkata is a failed front. This (front) is made in a condition of hopelessness. There has been personal hatred and selfishness on the stage," he said.



Mr Rudy said the united opposition rally was only a meeting of "self interest and of conflicting ideologies". He said the next government in the country will be headed by Prime Minister Modi only.

".....we can clearly see a divided leadership. It's a summit of contradictions and conflict. They talk of a new front but I am not sure if it's even the second or the third front," Mr Rudy said.

He further said "many of these parties have been snubbing each other."

"The Left has refused their invitation. SP-BSP alliance snubbed Congress in UP which has now extended support to the rally. This is a rally of self-interest," he alleged.

On BJP's sitting Lok Sabha MP Shatrughan Sinha attending the opposition rally, he said BJP will take cognizance of it.

“They make it a point to be present at the whip so that they don’t lose their membership. At the same time, they are so opportunistic that they want to climb the stage and be present at a conclave. BJP will take cognizance of it,” BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters here.

The reference was to Mr Sinha attending the Lok Sabha proceedings during the recently concluded winter session of Parliament.

Mr Sinha had attended the Lok Sabha session when it approved the Constitution Amendment Bill that ensured reservation for economically weaker sections of people from general category.

Meanwhile, addressing the rally at Kolkata, the cinestar-turned-politician said, he did not mind being expelled from the party.

"If to speak truth is being rebellion, I am a rebel.....I am answerable to the people of India," he said in presence of the likes of Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie.

He also said, "I have only tried to show mirror to the party (BJP)".

Bengal BJP leader and former Union Minister Mukul Roy made 'Jyoti Basu jibe' at Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and termed the gathering of major regional leaders at the Kolkata rally as "jokers and lying artists coming together".

"West Bengal is again witnessing a circus under Mamata Banerjee's rule similar to what Jyoti Basu had started. Various jokers and lying artists coming together to destroy India again," Mr Roy tweeted with the hashtag 'UnitedAntiNationalsAtBrigade'.

Ms Banerjee's political career in initial years largely focused on fighting the CPI-M and the then Marxist doyen Jyoti Basu.

In a series of tweets, Union Minister and BJP lawmaker from Asansol Babul Supriyo also took a dig at Trinamool Congress over its mega anti-BJP rally.

"TMC has a large fund base for the rally but not for the state? Kolkata will witness a show of hypocrisy today," Mr Supriyo tweeted.


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