Chennai: Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for questioning the performance of the Narendra Modi government, BJP president Amit Shah today demanded the Congress Vice President to furnish ‘accounts' of 60 years of his party rule.
Addressing a public meeting here, Shah, who is on his first tour to Tamil Nadu after assuming charge of the party, took a swipe at Rahul's charge that the Modi government has not done anything for the people in the last six months after making tall promises and asked him to give an account of what the 60-year Congress rule has done to the country.
“Let me tell Rahulji. When we come to people for another mandate after five years, we will not have the blot of any scams on us,” Shah said.
Listing out achievements of the Modi government in the last six months, including bringing down prices of various commodities and fuel, Shah said, “you were born with a silver spoon and not aware of prices.”
On the handling of the border issues with Pakistan, he claimed that the NDA government was more decisive, as Indian Army was putting an end to the border firing, unlike during the UPA regime, when Pakistan started and ended the firing. “He (Rahul Gandhi) may not know the difference because he wears Italian spectacles,” Shah quipped.
The jibe was in response to Rahul's recent comments that the BJP-led NDA government had not done anything for the people in the last six months after making tall promises on a host of issues, including bringing back black money.
Referring to scams that unfolded during the UPA regime, including 2G spectrum, VVIP chopper, Adarsh and others, he said, “the Congress and the DMK are answerable to the people.” Defending the Centre's decision to replace the Planning Commission, he said it was to involve states in policy making.
Slamming dynasty politics, he said grassroots level workers in the BJP could rise to the highest level and cited the example of Modi, who rose from humble beginnings as a tea vendor.
The BJP president set a target of enrolling 60 lakh new members in Tamil Nadu, as part of its efforts to strengthen it in the state.
Recalling his party's win in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana Assembly elections, Shah said the BJP has to be strengthened in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana and Assam.
“I have come here to speak from my heart. To ensure Tamil Nadu and India got the due respect they deserve, it is imperative that BJP rules for long. But till the time the party is not strengthened in these states, we cannot do that,” he said.
Seeking to strike a chord with the local sentiments, he said, “For Tamils, even those in Sri Lanka, to live in self-respect, it is imperative that BJP is made strong and number one in the state,” virtually appealing people to favour his party in the 2016 Assembly polls.
Shah, during the second day of his visit to the city tomorrow would be interacting with state and district unit office bearers to evolve a strategy expand its base in the important southern state, where the party has a lone MP in Pon Radhakrishnan.
