Leaders of INDIA bloc are either in jail or out on bail, claims BJP President J P Nadda

Hubballi (Karnataka), Apr 21 (PTI) Accusing the INDIA bloc as a group of dynastic politics, BJP national president J P Nadda on Sunday said the members of 'Ghamandia' (arrogant) parties are either on bail or in jail.

He said if there was one party which has respect for democracy, it is the BJP as it allows ordinary people to rise and become leaders.

"On the one hand, there is ‘Ghamandia’ alliance in the name of India and on the other, there is a democratic BJP which allows people from ordinary families to rise and become leaders," Nadda said, addressing leaders of various communities here.

The BJP has coined the term ‘Ghamandia’ to mock the opposition parties’ alliance, which named themselves the INDIA bloc.

The BJP president said Farooq Abdullah-Omar Abdullah, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-Mehbooba Mufti, Prakash Badal-Sukhbir Badal, Chautala family, Mulayam-Akhilesh-Dimple Yadav family, Lalu-Rabri-Tejashwi-Tej Pratap Yadav family, Mamata Bannerjee-Abhishek, KCR-KTR-Kavita, Karunanidhi-Stalin-Udayanidhi, Sharad Pawar-Supriya Sule, and Uddhav Thackeray-Aditya Thackeray were all dynastic parties.

"Aren’t Sonia-Rahul-Priyanka a family politics?" Nadda sought to know.

He said most of the members of the INDIA bloc are either on bail or in jail such as Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Telangana MLC K Kavitha.

Underlining that containing corruption was on top of the BJP’s agenda, he told the gathering that Prime Minister Modi had said from the ramparts of Red Fort that corruption is like robbing a poor man. The BJP will not tolerate corruption and action will be taken.

Slamming the Congress for its failure to contain poverty, he said former prime ministers such as the late Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi spoke about poverty eradication. However, it was the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that brought 25 crore Indians out of poverty, Nadda explained.

Quoting the IMF, he said extreme poverty is less than one per cent in the country, which was achieved in the last 10 years. It was done with the motto "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas" (Everyone’s development with everyone’s cooperation) and the prime minister changed the political culture of the country.

"Today we have development, accountability, pro-responsive, pro-active governance and politics of report card. What was promised was given and more was offered. Modi has changed the politics. We can see the opposition’s frustration, anger and attempt to divert from core issues," Nadda said.

Speaking about farmers’ welfare, he said that under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, 53 lakh people from Karnataka and 1.5 lakh from Dharwad are getting Rs 2,000 every fourth month. The Rs 2.5 lakh crore is directly deposited into the bank accounts of farmers due to the initiative.

The BJP president also hit out at the Congress party for waiving off the farm loans every ten years, which used to omit those who honestly cleared their loans and benefited the habitual defaulters.

Speaking about the economy, Nadda said all the major economies are in trouble "but, according to the IMF report, if there is any bright spot in the midst of gloomy economic scenario, it is India." "We were in the 11th spot when Modi came to power and now we are the fifth largest economy leaving behind Britain. If you elect Modi again, India will be the third major economy in the next two years," he told the gathering.

The BJP president said India is poised to become a big manufacturing hub. Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre has been inaugurated in Karnataka, which is the first largest establishment of Boeing outside America.

The largest helicopter manufacturing unit is being established in Tumakuru, he said, adding that new airports have been built in Mysuru, Shivamogga, Belagavi and Hubballi.

On the ruling Congress’ allegation that Karnataka was not given its due share of devolution of taxes, he said the allocation of funds from the union government to the state has increased fourfold and the Central grant-in-aid increased three times.

Nadda was here to campaign for Dharwad Lok Sabha BJP candidate Pralhad Joshi.

Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka will be held in two phases - April 26 and May 7. PTI