Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday (September 1) criticised the I.N.D.I.A alliance, a coalition of opposition parties, and called Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's remarks "divisive". During a press statement, Prasad highlighted the divisive rhetoric used in the alliance's meetings and questioned the opposition's stance on various national issues. He also accused Gandhi of "abusing patriots like Savarkar" and "batting for China".
"Rahul Gandhi will himself make India 'Congress Mukt' if he continues to abuse patriots like Savarkar and bat for China," Prasad said.
Prasad stated, "In the third meeting of the so-called alliance, there was no vision for the development of India, no roadmap for the upliftment of the poor, no strategy to address concerns of farmers or women and children. The most important is that there was not even an acknowledgment of the threat to India from terrorism, radicalization, and secessionist forces. Their only recurrent theme is to abuse Shri Narendra Modi ji as much as possible."
He chastised the alliance for failing to offer constructive solutions and instead competing to accuse and abuse the Prime Minister and his party. "They're not looking for alternatives; they're just competing to accuse, abuse, and curse the prime minister of this country," he said.
"They accuse and the country's ruling party of being unconstitutional, but I wonder why they aren't answering press questions. It was the third meeting, and they ignored the media questions for the third time," Ravi Shankar inquired.
Prasad also mentioned a resolution passed by the I.N.D.I.A alliance, emphasising "Give and Take" and drawing attention to previous controversies such as the 2G Scam, Commonwealth Games, and Lalu Yadav's fodder scam. He questioned the credibility of organisations affiliated with the Congress party, citing historical statements to highlight inconsistencies in their positions.
Reading from the I.N.D.I.A resolution, Prasad stated, "Give and Take... has piqued my interest to the next level, as the members of this alliance are well-versed in 'Give and Take' knowledge. That is the foundation of their entire politics. 2G Scam, Commonwealth, Lalu ji's fodder scam, and, not to mention, 'zameen do, naukari lo'".
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Prasad stated, citing recent polls and Pew survey results, that "we are well-aware of PM Modi's popularity, but the kind of words the members of the I.N.D.I.A bloc have been using are highly objectionable."
Prasad questioned Rahul Gandhi's knowledge of organisations such as the RSS and criticised his alleged lack of understanding in response to the alliance's unity and Rahul Gandhi's statements. He also addressed the political dynamics in Bihar, where Nitish Kumar's leadership has faced challenges from other alliance members, including Lalu Prasad Yadav's desire for his son to assume power.
Prasad went on to attack Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking, "Has Rahul Gandhi become China's spokesperson?" He emphasised that the Indian Army has been vocal and vigilant throughout the incidents in Galwan Valley and Ladakh. He further accused Gandhi of "not trusting the Army."
"Please recall your great grandfather's statement 'My heart goes for Assam' when India was being defeated by the Chinese soldiers, but when he was asked about it, he replied 'Those are lands where not a blade of grass grows,'" Prasad said, questioning the funding uncertainty of the grand old party's organisations.
When asked about the Opposition bloc's unity in attacking Rahul Gandhi and Nitish Kumar, he said, "I doubt Rahul ji even knows what RSS stands for. He knows nothing about it, and I and the party are very proud of it."
Pradad lashed out at Nitish Kumar, saying, "I have heard that Nitish ji is returning to 'Kop Bhavan'. I am skeptical of the alliance's unity, as there appears to be none in Bihar. The father (indirectly referring to Lalu Prasad Yadav) desires the throne for his son, and the person in the chair (Nitish) is also unwilling to relinquish it. What kind of cohesion is this?"