Bhubaneswar: Mounting a stinging attack on Congress, BJP president and Union Minister J P Nadda on Thursday dubbed the opposition party as the “spokesperson of urban naxals” busy promoting disintegrative forces within the country.
Addressing a gathering during BJP’s membership campaign in Bhubaneswar, Nadda lashed out at Congress for aligning with those advocating for the revival of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Claiming that Congress has forgotten about nationalism, the BJP national president asserted that the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 was achieved under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Paying tribute to Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Nadda said he had opposed the notion of “Ek Desh, Do Nishan, Do Vidhan, Do Pradhan,” and highlighted BJP’s commitment to this ideology.
Noting that Mahatma Gandhi had once suggested disbanding the party after independence, he said this recommendation was ignored by Jawaharlal Nehru.
The BJP chief also attacked Left parties, claiming that they lack direction and often engage in infighting in states like Kerala and West Bengal, only to unite for photo opportunities in Delhi.
On issues of women’s rights, Nadda said Congress did not abolish the triple talaq system and deprived Muslim women of their basic rights, while Modi has been empowering women.
Drawing a comparison between the two parties, the Union Minister asserted that BJP operates collaboratively under the mantra of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas,” while Congress functions in isolation.
Describing BJP as a true national political party, Nadda said the party functions in a democratic manner and sticks to its own ideology. He highlighted BJP’s democratic structure that allows leaders to emerge from grassroots levels.
“In the BJP, a leader is not born from privilege; rather, it is a party worker who rises through dedication,” he emphasised.
Highlighting BJP’s membership figures, the party president said the last count was 18 crore, explaining that the party renews its membership every six years.
“Everyone, from the PM to the national president and ordinary workers, must re-register. On September 2, Prime Minister became the first member, followed by me, Amit Shah, and the Defence Minister. Today, our membership has surpassed six crore in this latest drive,” he said.
Regarding criticism from Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi over unemployment and inflation, Nadda said India has emerged as the world’s fifth-largest economy and is among the top exporters of toys and mobiles.
The BJP chief claimed that the Gandhi siblings lack understanding of economic issues, focusing instead on “Mehangai” and “Berojgaari.”
Nadda also praised the BJP’s Ayushman Bharat Scheme, which provides health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh for 55 crore people, adding that senior citizens over 70 will soon benefit from this initiative starting in October.
While highlighting the popularity of BJP, Nadda said the party has launched a programme called ‘Know BJP’. “Ambassadors of about 70 countries have come to the BJP headquarters and tried to understand the party. Today the world is coming to know the BJP,” he said.
While 92 per cent of mobile phones were being imported ten years ago, now 97 per cent of mobile manufacturing is done in India and India is now the third largest exporter of toys in the world and also the third largest market in automobiles, said Nadda.
This is the size and growth of the economy that is taking place in India, while more than Rs 10 lakh crores have been allocated to build infrastructure across the country, he said.
The BJP president urged people to join hands to strengthen the party to make India ‘Bikshit Bharat’ by 2047 under the leadership of PM Modi.
The programme was also attended by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and state BJP president Manmohan Samal.
