New Delhi: The BJP on Monday termed the opposition parties’ meet in Bengaluru a “meeting of opportunists and power-hungry” leaders and said such an alliance will not do any good for the country at present or in the future.
Addressing a press conference, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad took a swipe at the opposition parties over who will be their leadership face against against Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, saying they are taking out a “baraat” (wedding procession) without a “dulha” (groom).
Prasad also ridiculed AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said he is going to attend the opposition parties’ meeting in Bengaluru instead of being in the national capital to provide relief to the people affected by flood.
He also hit out at the Congress alleging that it has not said a word on the Kejriwal government’s “mismanagement” during the flood situation in Delhi or on the violence during panchayat polls in West Bengal, where the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is in power.
Top leaders of 26 opposition parties, including the Congress, AAP and TMC, are expected to attend the two-day brainstorming session in Bengaluru from Monday evening and they are likely to start the work on a common minimum programme and announce a joint agitational plan to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Prasad said, “It is so painful that Arvind kejriwal has gone to take part in the opposition meeting in Bengaluru at a time when people are affected by flood in Delhi and facing many problems.”
“Arvind Kejriwal ji, it was your job to be here in the field and wipe the tears of flood-affected people in Delhi. You should have been here to ensure that the system is in order, people are getting relief. But you went to Bengaluru,” he added.
The BJP leader also took on Left parties questioning their silence on the recent panchayat poll violence in West Bengal.
“BJP workers as well as those of Congress and Left were killed in violence. Why doesn’t Congress party say anything on Bengal violence. Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M leader) keeps seeking accounts on democracy from Prime Minister Modi. Why doesn’t he say anything on panchayat election violence in Bengal?” Prasad charged.
The “so-called” combination of opposition parties has “completely” sidestepped “with impunity” the issues of good governance and probity in public life, he added.
“The Opposition parties’ meet in Bengaluru is a meeting of opportunists and power-hungry leaders,” Prasad told reporters.
“Such an alliance is neither good for India’s present nor for its future,” he charged.
