Ruling party media strategists picked up Union Minister Smriti Irani for the task knowing her dialogue delivery and acting prowess who said it was laughable that leaders jailed by the Congress government during the 1975 Emergency were today assembling under the very umbrella of the Congress.
Irani also thanked the Congress for acknowledging that it was “incapable of defeating PM Narendra Modi by itself and needed support of other parties”.
“It is laughable that on Friday under the Congress umbrella, some such leaders have assembled who witnessed the spectacle of the murder of democracy during the Emergency and went to jail for it; it is laughable that those seeking to unite have signalled to the nation that individually they lack the capacities to take on PM Modi,” said Irani commenting on the Patna huddle, where the Congress, NCP, TMC, AAP, SP, NC, Left, DMK, and other senior opposition leaders had assembled to discuss common grounds of taking on the BJP.
Irani also mocked the Congress for huddling with other parties in a bid to take on the PM.
“We are happy that the Congress has on its own declared that it is incapable of defeating Modi and needs support of others,” said the women and child development minister.
She also took jibes at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for hosting the gathering and asked “if those who could not build a simple concrete bridge will build a democratic bridge”.
Irani attacked former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi who earlier while addressing Congress workers in Patna, said the BJP and RSS were propagating hate as against the Congress which was spreading love.
“Were the 1984 anti-Sikh riots an expression of the Congress Party’s love? Was jailing innocents during the Emergency an expression of mohabbat? Was falling of a tree and shaking of the earth a display of love?” asked Irani, who hailed the PM’s ongoing state visit to the US as historic for its many outcomes.
Noting 15 standing ovations and over a hundred applauses to the PM’s speech to the US Congress, Irani said, “This honour was not the only hallmark of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the US. What is unprecedented is the Indo-US partnership in many critical areas which will help build a better future for Indians. The PM’s visit to the US has resulted in significant outcomes in areas of defence cooperation with regard to strategic technologies, partnerships in renewable energy and critical minerals cooperation.”
Irani described as a “minority bogey” the apprehensions around India’s alleged democratic deficit and said, “Those who want to deflect attention from the PM’s personal efforts undertaken with the US in strategic cooperation in defence, AI, semiconductors and critical minerals, would like to raise the minority bogey.
As the general election comes closer, such political gaslightings are expected. What I am grateful for is the PM’s steadfast focus on issues critical to India.”
Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had heaped ridicule at the opposition meeting.
Addressing a public meeting in Jammu, Shah said, “No matter how many parties come for the meeting, they can never unite”. “Today a photo session is underway in Patna. They (the opposition) want to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA. I want to tell them that PM Modi will form his government in the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls with more than 300 seats,” he said.
“If you get united, come before the voters, it is already decided that Modi will become prime minister in 2024 by winning more than 300 seats,” the home minister added.
“Sitting together for tea does not mean that the opposition is united,” BJP MP Sushil Modi said. “This is a ‘Gathbandhan of Thugs’. They are preparing to fool the country. They have no principle, or policy and all are involved in corruption,” he added.
Asking who will lead the block of Opposition parties in their battle against the BJP, former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: ”Nitish Kumar 2024 ke liye Patna men Barat saja rahe hain, par Barat ke liye Dulha bhi jaroori hota hai, Is Barat ka Dulha kaun hai?”
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