BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over OBC outreach, remarks on EC

New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) A fierce war of words has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress as political temperatures rise ahead of key elections, with BJP MLA Ram Kadam criticising Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi for what he called "whining before defeat."

“This constant whining by Rahul Gandhi is nothing but an early attempt to prepare the ground for the crushing defeat he’s going to face in Bihar,” said Kadam, referring to LoP Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks questioning the impartiality of the Election Commission.

Countering Congress's OBC outreach, Kadam said, "Rahul Gandhi is now talking about OBCs, but for which community has he really worked? He has been insulting the country by standing with Pakistan supporters and defaming India abroad."

Ram Kadam also reminded that: "The country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself comes from the OBC community, and the basic mantra of the BJP is - 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'."

“People are well aware of this pattern. When Congress wins in states like Telangana, Karnataka, or Rajasthan, everything is fine according to him, no complaints, no issues. But when they face defeat, suddenly the Election Commission becomes questionable,” he added.

The sharp BJP attack comes in response to LoP Rahul Gandhi’s speech at the Congress’s ‘Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan,’ an outreach program aimed at consolidating support among the Other Backwards Classes (OBCs). Held at Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium on Friday, the event saw a significant turnout of OBC leaders and party workers.

Addressing the gathering, LoP Rahul Gandhi made a candid admission. “I always understood the pain of Dalits and Adivasis, but I realise now that I did not grasp the concerns of the OBCs deeply enough. That is my shortcoming,” Gandhi said, acknowledging gaps in his earlier understanding.

He described the OBC community as the “productive power of the country.”

Meanwhile, the BJP also criticised the Congress’s OBC outreach efforts, calling them insincere. In response, Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi hit back hard, accusing the BJP of hypocrisy and deceit.

“BJP is a factory for lying. There is a saying that the thief scolds the policeman. Narendra Modi started his political career by lying. Do you remember the promise of 15 lakh? Later, Modi ji said that it was just a jumla (rhetoric). What bigger lie could there be in front of the nation?” said Pratapgarhi.

--IANS

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