New Delhi: The Congress flayed Prime Minister Modi getting busy with addressing the BJP booth workers on Thursday instead of rising above party politics to address the concern of the anguished nation in a state of tension because of the acts of Pakistan threatening a war.
“Now is the time to strengthen the nation but instead the PM thinks of strengthening the booths for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” Congress spokesman Manish Tewari told a press conference here, regretting that for the BJP, which organised Modi’s talk with the party workers, the party is bigger than the nation.
He slammed the BJP leaders, right from the Prime Minister to its president Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, continuing with the political programmes even after the terror strike killing 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir on February 14.
He expressed grave anguish over the BJP and the Prime Minister continuing with political programmes even after Tuesday’s airstrike in Pakistan at a time when the nation looks towards the nation’s leadership to speak to it instead of talking to the booth workers of the BJP.
Tewari cited cancellation of the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) and various other associated programmes in Ahmedabad as the party felt this was not the right time to hold the political programmes, but the Prime Minister and the BJP think otherwise to carry on its propaganda for the polls.
He said the entire Opposition stood behind the government that decided to go for an airstrike to destroy the terror base in Pakistan but it is dismayed at the sensitivity of the PM and the BJP to make political moves and speeches. He said the Congress have reason to question the government’s attitude in handling the situation, “but this is no time to ask questions” when the entire nation has to be one to repulse all postures of Pakistan.
The Congress leader said Pakistan’s incursions in the Indian territory adds a new dimension to four decades of a proxy war it has been carrying on against India that needs to be answered and that is why all opposition parties stood behind the government to do what it thinks as the best in the interest of the country. He said the Congress also demands that Pakistan should immediately return wing commander Abhinandan whose aircraft was shot down on Wednesday, respecting the Geneva Convention.