Swaraj, Gadkari launch blistering attack on Cong
Amitabh Shukla / Hisar
With corruption becoming the only major poll plank in Hisar by-election, top echelons of the BJP joined the campaign on Sunday saying that the election had the potential to change not only the course of politics in Haryana but also at the national level.
“This is not a regular election. It is decisive in nature... This will decide the course of future politics in Haryana and the nation,” Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj told an impressive gathering. Swaraj, along with BJP president Nitin Gadkari and other party leaders, addressed a public meeting here in support of Kuldeep Bishnoi of Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC). The BJP has entered into a long-term alliance with the HJC and has even decided the number of seats each will fight in the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
Swaraj, who was feted as the ‘daughter’ and ‘sister’ of Haryana, said she was happy that Team Anna was present in the constituency “to ensure the victory of Kuldeep Bishnoi”.
Launching a blistering attack on the UPA Government, Swaraj said, “Inflation has led to its (UPA) unpopularity and corruption has made it lose all credibility.”Referring to the Centre’s role in the Commonwealth Games scams, the 2G auction controversy and dubious Navy deals and the Air India purchases, she said, “They are looting the country with both hands… They have looted the earth, ocean, sky and the airwaves. They are not even ashamed to say that a person earning more than Rs 26 in rural areas and more than Rs 32 in urban areas is rich. They do not want to know the truth. And those who show them the truth like Baba Ramdev face the lathi,” the Leader of Opposition said in a no-holds-barred attack on the Government.
Party chief Gadkari attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the twin issues of inflation and corruption saying he knew about everything taking place in the Government.“If you cannot control inflation and corruption, leave the post… go to Haridwar or Rishikesh on a pilgrimage.You can even go to the Golden Temple and sing kirtan there,” he said. Pointing at Amritsar MP Navjot Sidhu, Gadkari said that he could arrange it if the PM wanted to go to Amritsar for kirtan.
“Can one person (Raja) be in a scam worth Rs 1.76 lakh crore? The PM and Chidambaram both knew. Why was he (PM) silent when Raja sent the file to him?” he said.Referring to Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal and others campaigning against the Congress in the by-election here, Gadkari said the BJP was for a strong Lokpal. “We want to remove corruption… You have the opportunity to make history now,” he said.As Hazare’s call to vote against the Congress has become an issue, Bishnoi said his rivals — Jai Prakash of Congress and INLD’s Ajay Chautala — were actually campaigning for him as they are asking to vote for the cleanest candidate.“Chautala is fighting several cases of corruption. The Congress candidate faces several charges… Can anyone point out even one case against me involving corruption?” he said.
As the seat fell vacant due to the death of Bishnoi’s father Bhajan Lal, he also played the sympathy card, asking the people to remember what the former Haryana CM had done for the area. “I see the image of my father in you (public). I know you will not disappoint me,” he said.The size of the first rally after an alliance was forged between the BJP and HJC clearly indicated that the marriage of the two had been received well by the people of the State. While the colour yellow dominated the proceedings, saffron too made its presence felt with flags of the respective parties fluttering at the rally venue and also at many places in the constituency. (October 10, 2011)
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