Chunav Manch Gujarat 2022: Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the state, former Gujarat chief minister and Praja Shakti Democratic Party (PSDP) chief, Shankersinh Vaghela launched a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its religion-based politics.
Speaking at India TV's Chunav Manch on Saturday, he alleged that the saffron party tends to "misuse religion" for political benefits. He further claimed the BJP and its veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani has nothing to do with Lord Rama, and that they have been using his name in an attempt to just gain political mileage and garner votes.
"The BJP is using Ram Mandir just for marketing. Nobody knows the BJP better than Shankersinh Vaghela in this country. Whom are these people fooling? They do not use religion but misuse it," the former CM remarked.
'We neither use 'Bharat Mata' nor religion for political gain': Vaghela
Vaghela further stated that his party neither uses 'Bharat Mata' nor religion for political gain. "We do not use our mothers for the marketing. How does media come when a son goes to seek blessings from his mother," he added, taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Alleging changes in BJP's policies, Vaghela said after 2002, Indian politics came into the hands of "cruel, criminal, conspiratorial and corrupt people."We all know RSS. We were taught that power is not an end but a means. Earlier it was said that it was not about me, but only you. But I have been watching that it's only me, me and me since 2002," he claimed in an apparent attack on the BJP government in Gujarat.
Rahul Gandhi is a statesman: Ex-Gujarat CM Vaghela
The PSDP party chief also termed also hailed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and termed his a "statesman." He lauded Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' accusing the present Modi government of breaking the country and justifying the purpose of the former's campaign.
"Rahul Gandhi is not a politician but a statesman. He is a mentally and physically fit young man. I have good relations with him. Seeing his body language in Bharat Jodo Yatra, I feel that he is a new Rahul Gandhi," Vaghela remarked.
Vaghela questions security given to RSS chief
Meanwhile, the former Gujarat CM also said there is a lot of difference in the present-day RSS and also questioned the security given to its chief Mohan Bhagwat despite him not being on any constitutional post. Vaghela also termed Anna Hazare, the face of Jan Lokpal's campaign, as a "time-pass" person. "Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and all others who were part of the anti-corruption protest was just a drama to bring down Sheila Dikshit's government in Delhi," he claimed.
It should be noted here that elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases- on December 1 and 5- and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.
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