New Delhi: The BJP Thursday accused the Congress of insulting the country by dubbing the I-T department action on its bank accounts as “freezing of Indian democracy” and dismissed the opposition party’s attack on the government as a “desperate” attempt to create an alibi for its imminent defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.
BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad charged former Congress president Rahul Gandhi with lying and also targeted Sonia Gandhi, saying both of them shamed Indian democracy globally with their “utterly irresponsible and shameful” comments.
Rahul Gandhi should apologise for “castigating” institutions like courts and the Election Commission over the freezing of bank accounts of the Congress, Prasad told reporters here.
His caustic remarks came after senior Congress leaders including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi addressed a press conference and slammed the government over IT action.
“There is no democracy in India today and the idea that India is the world’s largest democracy is a complete lie,” Rahul Gandhi said, terming the freezing of accounts a criminal action against the Congress by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. “There are institutions that are supposed to protect the democratic framework but nothing is happening.”
Adding her voice to the chorus of condemnation by party leaders, Sonia Gandhi said the issue being taken up today is “very, very serious” and affects not just the Congress but “impacts our democracy itself most fundamentally”.
Prasad hit back at the Congress leaders, saying their remarks remind him of the Congress’ claim of “India is Indira and Indira is India”, an Emergency era boast made by the party’s then president D K Barooah.
The opposition party has now shrivelled to be a pale shadow of its former self yet continues to behave arrogantly, Prasad said. “Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi should not insult Indian democracy. India and its democracy are bigger than you,” he said.
Prasad was joined by party spokesperson Sambit Patra as both of them mocked the Congress leadership’s claim of fund crunch and referred to a host of alleged scams under the UPA government.
Patra lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for his “asuri shakti” (demonic powers) barb at the Modi government, asserting that the prime minister was driven by “Durga shakti” as his government has built toilets and homes for crores of households.
The more abuses they hurl at Modi, the more lotus (the BJP’s poll symbol) will bloom, Prasad said, describing the prime minister as the most popular global leader. Citing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s invites to Modi for visiting their respective country after the polls, Patra said the entire world known he is coming back to power.
Prasad said the Congress did not file income tax returns in time and follow other procedures, leading to the freezing of its accounts.
The opposition party did not get any judicial relief and has now gone to the Supreme Court, he said, accusing the Congress leaders of lying over the issue. He said the Congress was even pulled up by the Delhi High Court which rejected its appeal recently.
“We wish the Congress well and our gentle advice to the party is the more you allow Rahul Gandhi to speak the more ground you lose in the country,” Prasad said.
If people don’t want to vote for the Congress, the BJP cannot help it, he said.
Patra said the Congress leadership’s stand shows its sense of entitlement despite being a “defaulter” but that era is over under the Modi government.
It is not its bank accounts but the Congress which is frozen, he said, calling Rahul Gandhi a vehicle without any fuel.
Prasad wondered why Gandhi is not seeking to contest from Amethi, with Patra noting that many senior leaders of the Congress are not keen to fight the Lok Sabha elections.
