In his speeches to both houses of Parliament, Modi spoke about Congress’s perceived slights to Andhra leaders & Sikhs, in a bid to reduce TDP & SAD’s anger.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches in both houses of Parliament Wednesday seemed to have a clear motive – to appeal to the BJP’s miffed allies to stick together against the old common enemy, the Congress. There was also another message – to states going to the polls this year.
Reaching out to TDP
For two days now, MPs of the Telugu Desam Party, a BJP ally, have been protesting in the Lok Sabha over demands for a package for Andhra Pradesh post the UPA government-approved bifurcation of the state in 2014. There have been enough indications that the TDP’s relationship with the BJP is quickly reaching breaking point.
The PM, however, reminded the TDP of its own history, and how the grand old party had slighted Andhra leaders in the past. As an example, he recounted the embarrassment faced by the Congress’s official candidate Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, in the 1969 Presidential election, when, at the behest of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, most Congress members voted for independent candidate V.V. Giri. Reddy took retirement and only came back in 1977 to become President of India as a Janata Party-backed candidate.
He also took a dig at former PM Rajiv Gandhi, recalling a 1982 incident when Andhra Pradesh chief minister T. Anjaiah came to receive then Congress general secretary Rajiv Gandhi at the Hyderabad airport, and Gandhi publicly called Anjaiah a buffoon. “When Rajiv Gandhi landed in Hyderabad and a Dalit leader came to welcome him, he insulted him publicly. Is that the democracy that Congress talks about?” said Modi.
“N.T. Rama Rao’s Telugu Desam Party was born out of those insults to the people of Andhra Pradesh,” said the PM, in a clear outreach to his NDA partner.
The PM also tried to discredit the Congress for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and the creation of Telangana, accusing the party of doing so for political gains without any preparation.
“When we speak about creating new states, we remember the manner in which Atal Bihari Vajpayee created Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh,” he said.
Message to Akalis
Two days after the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has raised the pitch for giving due respect to NDA allies, the Prime Minister also gave it a history lesson, while also rebutting Congress allegations of the BJP being “undemocratic”.
“How did the Congress act in Kerala, how did they treat the Akali Dal in Punjab, how did they behave in Tamil Nadu? Why did Congress dismiss so many state governments at their will? This is no commitment to democracy,” he said.
In 1982, the Indira Gandhi government at the Centre had dismissed the Akali Dal government in Punjab for failing to address the problem of Sikh terrorism effectively.
In his Rajya Sabha speech, the PM also raised the 1984 riots in order to firmly side with the Akali Dal.
“What kind of India do you want? An India where thousands of Sikhs are murdered?”
Eye on Karnataka
Targeting Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress’s leader in the Lok Sabha, and turning his focus to the poll-bound state of Karnataka, Modi recalled the 12th century Kannada philosopher-reformer Basavanna.
“Kharge-ji, aren’t you from Karnataka? At least remember Basava. You should know him, he established the Anubhav Mandap in the 12th century. Everything he did was done democratically, and women’s empowerment was his top priority. This was democracy in India in the 12th century. Have you forgotten that, Kharge-ji?” Modi said.
In his speech, Kharge had accused the BJP government of taking away the rights of women and children.
Somewhat relevant to the news , readers may like to know this Vedic astrology writer’s piece of advice tendered , here and there, by way of comments , over a month or two past :-
Astrologically speaking , these are times when some countries including we in India need to control and rationalize our passions and ambitions. Have a recourse to maintaining cool even if circumstances are not coming up the way we wished them to be. It seems the present year 2018 looks to be having baggage of “Karamfal” ( fruits of deeds sown in past ). The wrong we did and the right we did not do yesterday could sprout and confront us during the course of the year. So be calm , benevolently strategic and shed usual way of wishful or dreamy ways of interpreting this world.
What type of India you want? Where thousands of Muslim men, women and children were butchered in cold blood in Gujarat under your own supervision as Vajpayee the then OM of your own bjp told you to do your Raj Dharma?
What type of India you want? An India where the yogis, and other bjp leaders spew venom against minorities and vigilantes of Hindu right kill and maime people with impunity about which you have not uttered a single word Mr Modi?
What type of India you want?
An India where karni Sena and mobs burn attack and destroy public property abetted and allowed by your own govts and you wash your hands off stating that law and order is state subject.
What type of India you want when you sign an accord with nagas the outprint and cantours are not known till now and playing with fire in the north east.?
Enough of bhashans Mr Modi.
Will you please deliver on jobs which you promised?
Will you deliver on acche din?
Will you deliver on farmers distress?
You are in for a shock in 2019. Probably a repeat of 2004 India shining. Disgraceful diversionary tactic after Gujarat and Rajasthan Bengal rout.
Some people have been always accusing modi for the communal riots of 2012 . Repeated election of Gujarat and Lok Sabha campaign was really run on that narrative and has been rejected by the electorate. So I feel trying to rake up that issue against modi has and will not yield any electoral brownie and infact it has gone in his favour by majority consolidation. Opposition needs to think out of box as time and again they have been caught napping by Modi and he always sets the agenda and congress and opposition tries to react unsuccessfully . They need to device a new strategy to counter . सोच बदलो , देश बदलेगा ।