New Delhi [India], November 2 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Damodar Agrawal on Monday criticised the INDIA bloc over its rally held ahead of Diwali, alleging that the opposition's decision to organise the protest during a crucial business period reflected its "obsession with creating an atmosphere of unrest and bringing about regime change".
Speaking to ANI here, reacting to traders' claims of huge business losses due to the INDIA bloc rally, Agrawal accused opposition leaders, particularly Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, of repeatedly portraying India's economy negatively and attempting to damage the country's economic interests and global image.
"For the past few months, INDIA bloc leaders, particularly Rahul Gandhi, have been calling India's economy a 'dead economy'. They are making every effort to damage the country's economy and its image globally," Agrawal said.
He further questioned the timing of the protest, saying it had been scheduled just before Diwali despite requests from traders to postpone it, as the festive period was important for both businesses and consumers.
"That is why this protest was scheduled just before Diwali, despite traders requesting that it be postponed, as this is an important period for both businesses and consumers," he said.
The BJP MP alleged that the opposition's focus on creating unrest and seeking regime change had resulted in a short-sighted decision that affected traders during an important business period.
"Their obsession with creating an atmosphere of unrest and bringing about regime change has led them to make such a short-sighted decision," Agrawal added.
Earlier in the day, BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Monday launched a sharp attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi during the party's 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' march in Kolkata, accusing him of sympathising with forces creating unrest abroad.
"Instead of learning from his mistakes, Rahul Gandhi is acting as a tool of foreign forces. When I say this word, I say this because when there was unrest in Bangladesh, he was sympathetic towards the elements who were causing the unrest. When elements try to cause unrest in Nepal, he expresses sympathy to them. Rahul Gandhi and Congress are sympathetic towards all such elements," Nabin said.
Continuing his attack, Nabin said the Congress was staring at political oblivion if it did not correct its course, and questioned internal democracy within the party.
"Even today, I urge Rahul Gandhi Ji to learn from his mistakes and shortcomings. Otherwise, a time may come when Congress will lose its relevance to such an extent that no one in the country will even remember its name. You speak about democracy, but I ask the Congress workers: does democracy truly exist within your own party? You invoke the Constitution- which Constitution? The Constitution that runs according to the Nehru-Gandhi family?" he said.
Nabin also accused the INDIA bloc of being led by anarchist forces and said Rahul Gandhi himself had once demanded freedom from Mamata Banerjee in Bengal.
"Those with an anarchic mindset, backed by anti-social elements, have now come forward, with Rahul Gandhi at their helm. Rahul Gandhi himself visited West Bengal and delivered lengthy speeches criticising Mamata Didi, calling for the people to free themselves from her leadership. Today, the people of Bengal have indeed moved on from Mamata Didi, and in Delhi, the call for freedom from Rahul Gandhi has also been fulfilled," he added. (ANI)
"INDIA bloc trying to damage India's economy, global image": BJP MP Damodar Agrawal
