Congress was "special purpose vehicle" for independence movement, says Amit Shah
Bengaluru, Feb 23: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the Congress party was a "Special Purpose Vehicle" for independence movement, without any ideology, whereas the BJP was formed on the basis of an ideological pillar called "cultural nationalism".
India's story has begun and by 2047 creation of a "great India" is certain, he said, as he credited the people for a "paradigm shift" in the country, by bringing in the Narendra Modi led BJP government.
Shah was speaking at an interactive session on "Indian Polity - 65 years Scenario & Paradigm Shift Under Modi Ji" organised by 'Samvada' here.
Noting that Congress which contributed in a big way for the freedom struggle is today completely "fallen" into the dynastic system, and its internal democracy has fully eroded, the Union Minister said, Socialist parties too after Lohia era gradually turned into caste based party initially, and then went on to become dynastic parties.
Dubbing the RJD and Samajwadi Party as 'dynastic,' he said, "here too in Karnataka JD(S) is a dynastic party, you can't find anyone in their family who doesn't contest polls, everyone wants contest polls and lead Karnataka, I don't understand as to who runs the house. I'm not opposing them. I'm placing the facts before you."
Communist's thinking about the economy is "unnatural and narrow", and this has gradually caused their end globally, he further said, "whereas the Jana Sangh had to fight a long struggle to become Janata Party first and the BJP, but we have kept our ideology and party democracy intact."
According to him, the Congress party was not born with any ideology, but it was an organisation, to which educated Indians gradually started getting associated with, with a demand for freedom. "No one can take away Congress' great contribution in getting freedom for the country, but it did not have an ideology."
"Congress never had one thinking or ideology, whether it is cultural ideology or economic ideology or ideology with respect to building the nation. All those who wanted freedom got associated with the Congress thinking it to be a platform," he said.
"If I have to say in the modern educated Bengaluru's language, the Congress party was a Special Purpose Vehicle for independence. Congress friends should not take my words in a wrong sense, I'm just trying to explain in a simple way....the only intention was to make the country rid of the British, the whole country was with them on this," he said.
Suggesting that this was the reason why Gandhiji had called for the disbanding of Congress party, after independence as its work was over, the former BJP President said, adding that Gandhi had asked people to form their own party based on their ideology and had said that people will choose their leader.
"But, this did not happen as the credit of getting freedom was in the Congress' account and its leaders then did not want to leave it," he said.
Averring that the ideology of BJP was "cultural nationalism", Shah said, other than India, rest are geopolitical countries, created after war or inventions or partitions, while ours is a "geo-cultural country" formed out of a common cultural ecosystem, and our party fully believes in it.
He said BJP also believes in "integral humanism", and that the deprived and poor have the first right on development, irrespective of their caste or religion, unlike former PM Manmohan Singh, who said minorities should have first right.
Today BJP is the world's largest party with more than 11 crore workers, more than 1,500 legislators, more than 400 MPs and has a government on over 66 per cent land area of this country, he said adding that "as there was courage in our policies or ideology we have reached this far."
Chief Minister Basavaraj was also present in the event, which was attended by select invitees from various walks of life.
Pointing out that corruption, inflation, crony capitalism, and policy paralysis had engulfed the country before 2014, Shah said, after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister politics was taken away from the privileged towards those potential, and the concept of power for potential was created, bringing in a "paradigm shift".
BJP freed India from, casteism, dynastic and appeasement which had destroyed the country and its policies, he said, as he defended the government's strong decisions like GST, demonitisation, fight against corruption, stating that it was for the good of the people, despite resistance within and the threat of losing the vote bank looming large.
Listing out various policies, initiatives and programmes of the Modi led government for the welfare of the people and in national interest, the Home Minister also pointed to the growth in India's stature globally, and as fifth largest economy.
He spoke about the Modi government's zero tolerance towards terrorism, and also sought to clarify BJP's position on regional languages stating that "Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, are all our languages."
Pitching for education in mother tongue, he said, "language is not proof for our IQ or knowledge, it is only the expression of IQ or knowledge."
Advising people to always vote looking at a party and its leadership, Shah said, leadership is not an individual, he is an institution who is associated with the legacy, ideology and development programmes of the party.
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RSS-BJP's main objective is to finish off Constitution: Rahul Gandhi
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New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the RSS-BJP on Sunday, alleging their main objective is to finish off the Constitution because they don't want that everyone in India is considered an equal.
Gandhi made the remarks before flagging off the 'Run For Ambedkar, Run For Constitution' marathon here, ahead of Ambedkar's birth anniversary on April 14.
"Ambedkar ji's main message was that of the Constitution. Without the Constitution, what we call India would not have been there. Today, the people who are of the mindset of RSS-BJP want to finish off the Constitution. Whatever they say, their main objective is to erase the Constitution because they don't want that everyone in India is considered an equal," Gandhi said addressing the gathering before the start of the marathon from Mandi House.
"Whatever they (RSS-BJP) do, they even bow before Ambedkar ji's statue, but their objective is to finish off the Constitution. Our objective is to protect the Constitution and strengthen the Constitution," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.
"We want that the thought of the Constitution and its protection reaches every corner of the country and that is why we have organised this 'Run for Ambedkar, Run for Constitution'," Gandhi, dressed in a blue T-shirt, said.
Later, in a Facebook post, Gandhi said he flagged off the marathon organised by the Congress' SC Department from Mandi House.
"This run serves as a demonstration of our commitment to the ideals of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and to the Constitution of India," Gandhi said.
"Today, when constitutional values are under assault, we must unite and fight against every injustice and act of discrimination with the same resolve as Babasaheb. Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan, Jai Hind," he said in his post in Hindi.
The SC and OBC departments of the AICC celebrated the birth anniversary of Jyotiba Rao Phule with an event at Indira Bhawan in Lucknow on Saturday.
Ambedkar Jayanti, celebrated annually on April 14, marks the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and a champion of social equality.
Former Indian cricket team captain and Telangana minister Mohammad Azharuddin also participated in the event to flag off the marathon.
Lauding the marathon initiative by the Congress, Azharuddin said, "I would like this campaign to happen all over India because 'Run for Ambedkar, Run for Constitution' is a very good initiative, it should be maintained and promoted further."
He called for unity in the country, asserting that the country can only progress with unity.
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