New Delhi:
Coming down heavily on the Congress in Lok Sabha, the BJP on Monday accused the opposition party of indulging in vote bank politics and creating problems like Article 370 during its rule.
BJP member Parvesh Verma, who initiated the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, also took on the Congress for its opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act, saying, “They should know that it is not Rajiv Feroze Khan government, it is Narendra Modi’s government.
“We will not take back CAA. It is a question of the country’s integrity.”
He said that “they (Congress) create problems like Article 370 and 35(A)” by their “vote bank politics”, and “we solve them” to strengthen India.
Verma said Lord Rama gives the message of humanity but the Congress linked him with religion, and went on to add that “if opposition members chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’, their sins will be washed off”.
The BJP MP said his government was not of any particular religion.
Verma also accused the Congress of removing the pictures of Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and Lord Hanuman from the original copy of the Constitution and added that these pictures were “not related to religion”.
He said that if his government talks about Ram Mandir, it also talks about toilets.
Stressing that a strong foundation would be laid by the present government during its tenure, Verma said that in three years India will become an economic power, while the Opposition Congress will shrink.
The Constitution, he said, was of foremost importance and asked the Congress “where was the Constitution when riots took place in 1984.”
Padma awards were given during the Congress rule “on recommendation. In contrast, they are given on merit under the BJP government,” Verma said.
The West Delhi MP also attacked the Congress over the policies followed by it when the party was in power in Delhi.
He said that while it was the Congress government which created problems like unauthorised colonies, the BJP government has worked to solve them.
Verma also said that if the BJP comes to power in Delhi, it will ensure that ‘pucca’ houses will be built in unauthorised colonies.
He also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying it had said that the number of buses will increase, but in reality the number of DTC buses has gone down in Delhi.
He also said that Delhi has been alloted the maximum share from Nirbhaya fund but the money remains unutilised.
“Delhi Government is giving Rs 18,000 salary to Imam…
but has forgotten the priests of temples and gurudwaras,” he said.
Verma also referred to the Shaheen Bagh sit-in, saying it is not a protest against Citizenship Amendment Act, rather people there are saying “Pakistan zindabad, and Assam and Kashmir should be separated from India.”
The BJP leader also hit out at those who questioned surgical strike by India on terror camps in Pakistan.
Earlier, opposition members, including those from the Congress and DMK, walked out of Lok Sabha to protest Verma’s controversial remarks during a poll rally, when the BJP MP rose to initiate the debate.
The TMC said that Verma’s speech was for Delhi election campaign and not for debate on the President’s address. Delhi goes to polls on February 8.
