SHILLONG: BJP national spokesperson Nalin Kohli on Tuesday lashed out at the Congress for its “Judas in operation” jibe at parties supporting the saffron brigade and said it was communalising the election.
Addressing reporters on Tuesday at the BJP office, Kohli said, “There are 19 governments of the BJP in the country, whether single or in coalition. Does that mean that they are surrendering and surrendering for what? Have they sold their soul to the devil? Is that what they mean?”
The BJP leader, without mincing his words, said the remark showed the Congress’s desperation and that it needed “serious help”.
He was reacting to AICC national spokesman Tom Vaddakan’s comment that parties supporting BJP have sold their souls, bodies and compromised with the devil because of power.
“Why is the Congress running away from answering the specific charges in the chargesheet? The Congress is communalising the election. We don’t believe in this. The Congress is running away from its shameful track record,” Kohli said.
“The language of ‘surrender, sell their bodies’…. this kind of language shows the desperation and panic in the Congress party,” he added while asserting that such remarks would not fool voters.
Speaking of the links with the Holy Bible, Kohli said, “If Alphons was here, we could have asked him to quote the Bible properly and tell him (AICC national spokesman Tom Vaddakan) how wrong he is.”
Chairman of the campaign committee AL Hek, who is the BJP candidate from Pynthorumkhrah, said, “Talking about surrendering of souls… such language is not conducive and not welcome in the political arena.”
Pakora politics
Commenting on the much heated debate of “pakoda politics” Kohli said pakoda (fritters) sellers are much better than corrupt people. “Those who are self-employed even as street vendors, even selling pakodas and making an honest living for themselves and families are far better than those who are scamsters, middlemen of corruption,” he said.
Kohli went on to allege that the Congress leadership knew well about the business model as scams after scams happened in the state and at the national level.
‘Law & order is not proper’
With the election temperature rising in the state, state BJP president Shibun Lyngdoh has expressed concern about law and order.
“There is a fight in Raliang constituency where the party filed an FIR but no action was taken against the brother of the UDP candidate. Some say there is a nexus between BJP-NPP-UDP but you can see here that we are fighting all alone where even our karyakartas were attacked,” he said.
“Law and order is not proper in Meghalaya,” he said while recalling the alleged poll violence at Sutnga-Saipung, the recovery of grenade from West Shillong constituency etc.
Criticism on development
Kohli observed that there are schools without teachers, hospitals without doctor, youths without jobs, potholes instead of roads, no electricity, mining policy which is not back on track, no development but only scams and disputes.
“The Congress leaders should travel on national highways between Guwahati and Shillong to realise the number of potholes,” he said and added that his experience of travelling to Dalu border was similar. “There is no road except potholes. Let us not talk about healthcare.”
