Rahul Gandhi chairs his maiden CWC meet, BJP goes all guns blazing at him

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the CWC meeting was more of a "Congress darbari meeting" and it was aimed at promoting the interests of a single family.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi (R) with his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. PTI Photo

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Sunday took a dig at the Congress, saying the CWC meet presided by Rahul Gandhi was rather a "Congress non-working committee" meeting headed by the party's "non-performing" chief. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the CWC meeting was more of a "Congress darbari meeting" and it was aimed at promoting the interests of a single family. "Today, the CWC, rather Congress non-working committee, met under non-performing president Rahul Gandhi. After losing the no-confidence motion badly on the floor of Parliament, this was a meeting chaired by Rahul Gandhi, which was previously being chaired by Sonia Gandhi for 20 long years," he said. Referring to Sonia Gandhi's statement that reverse countdown of the Narendra Modi government has begun, Patra said those who had driven this country in reverse gear for 10 years, should not make such a comment. "The reverse countdown of dynastic politics, appeasement politics and caste politics has begun," he said, adding that one decision taken at the CWC meeting was that "we do not want to win and our sole aim is to defeat Modi". Terming it as an "negative sentiment", he said, "This country is an intelligent country which only gives way to positive politics and not negative politics.". He also attacked Sonia Gandhi for accusing the prime minister of indulging in rhetoric and said the country has witnessed the politics of "hug and wink" and the rhetoric on the floor of Parliament. Patra also took on former prime minister Manmohan Singh over his remarks on "self praise and jumlas", saying those who had reduced the post of the prime minister to a "jumla", should not talk about it. India is marching ahead and the country has emerged as the sixth largest economy in the world and GST rates have also been reduced further, he said. He said that senior Congress leader P Chidambaram played an important role in the meeting of the CWC which was more of a "out on bail committee". "Many of those occupying high positions were either out on bail or almost on installments of protection from court," he said. He said Chidambaram, who has been chargesheeted, stated during the CWC meeting that at best the Congress could contest 150 seats. If a party is looking at contesting only 150 seats, how can it dream of getting the prime minister's post? Patra asked. He said in this "namdhari committee meeting", the sole point of the Congress was that the party was ready to play second, third or even the fourth fiddle. The Congress has "almost accepted that they have become a new regional party and have lost their national character", the BJP spokesperson said. He claimed that the Congress has made a self-declaration that it was no more a national party. Attacking Rahul Gandhi and the Congress for raising doubts over electronic voting machines (EVMs), Patra said they also did not have faith in the Indian Army and had questioned the surgical strike. They also do not have faith in the Supreme Court as they had moved an impeachment motion against the chief justice of India, besides in the Reserve Bank of India and the World Economic Forum, he said. "Actually, the country does not have faith on Rahul Gandhi's leadership," he said. He also hit out at Rahul Gandhi for not taking any action against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for his "Hindu Pakistan" remark. Tharoor had recently kicked up a row with his remarks that if voted to power again, the BJP will rewrite the Constitution and pave the way for creation of a "Hindu Pakistan".