Chennai: The BJP Tuesday mocked DMK over its pitch for Rahul Gandhi as the Opposition’s prime ministerial candidate, with party general secretary Ram Madhav asserting the PM’s post was not vacant for another 10 years.
He said DMK chief M K Stalin’s proposal had not found resonance even within the parties the Congress wants in the proposed grand alliance.
On the Rafale deal, Madhav challenged the opposition to a debate in Parliament in the presence of all its members instead of seeking an “escape route” of a Joint Parliamentary Committee, which would comprise only 25-30 members.
Madhav said the Congress and other opposition parties were trying to stitch together a grand alliance by “propagating lies” over the Rafale deal.
“We are challenging the Opposition. If they are ready, let us debate it (the Rafale issue) in Parliament. They cannot take an escape route in the name of JPC and try and continue their propaganda of lies….this shall not be allowed,” he told a press conference.
Top BJP leaders have fanned across the country and are holding similar press conferences to present the party’s stand on the contentious deal following the Supreme Court judgment that was seen as a “clean chit” for the Modi government.
“The post is not vacant for the next at least 10 more years. Soon after the announcement (by Stalin) that Rahul will be the prime minister, somebody elsewhere in the country said we are also in the queue…how you can say that he (Rahul) is the only person, I am also there,” he quipped.
He also targeted Stalin for his criticism of Modi and the Centre. (PTI)
