15 August,2015 09:02 AM IST | | Dharmendra Jore
The BJP will take to the streets against Congress on Sunday, says the party caused irreparable loss to the country's exchequer
The party directives were issued on Thursday night but senior leaders held a march in New Delhi to 'Save Democracy' in the day
Citizens have heard of opposition parties staging protests against the ruling parties. Come August 16, and we will see the opposite of this regular phenomenon.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come up with an idea that the previous ruling parties had stayed away from. The BJP will take to the streets against the Congress, which sits in opposition in the Centre, with 44 Members of Parliament, on Sunday. The BJP will slam the Congress for stalling Parliament's Monsoon session. The party said the stalling has caused irreparable loss to the country's exchequer.
The BJP headquarters in New Delhi issued a directive on Thursday night that street protests be held across the country. A short film which digs into the Congress' âtainted' past and the Modi government's âgood' things was sent across to all state units. The film was screened to the media on Friday in Mumbai. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP president Raosaheb Danve explained the idea behind the protest.
Rs 2 lakh crore loss
Fadnavis said the Congress was solely responsible for causing the country a loss of Rs 2 lakh crore, because the Centre could not pass the Goods and Service Tax (GST) bill. This included Maharashtra's whopping loss of Rs 20,000 cr (the share from country-wide collection).
"Congress has looted the country in the past and is continuing to cause losses to the nation, sitting in opposition. The Congress has not been able to digest its humiliating loss in the Lok Sabha and many states. The party wants to destroy the country's investor-friendly image that the Modi government has been able to create in the past one year," said the CM.
"The Congress is not interested in the country. Its sole objective is to think of the Gandhi family's interests. They held the country to ransom to protect their party bosses," Fadnavis said, asking the Congress to answer the charges.
Danve said that the Parliament does not witness senior party leaders entering the well of the house. "But Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) broke that convention by storming the well of the house. All of us were shocked to see this," he said.
âA ridiculous protest'
The Congress shot back at the BJP in strong words. "A ridiculous protest is organized by the BJP, which incidentally is the ruling party, to mislead the people of the country. However, it is no secret that the BJP does not believe in democracy and democratic traditions. Rather, it owes its origin to a fascist philosophy and anti-democratic mindset," said the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress group leader in Lok Sabha, Malikaarjun Kharge, in a joint statement to mid-day on Friday.
"Though the BJP has mandate of the people and we have all respect for the wisdom of the people, yet the performance of this government compels one to gather the uncanny impression that it might be a good opposition, but has proved itself to be the worst Government," the statement said.
"The stark fact is that the BJP leaders are not used to democratic temperament and therefore, do not know how to behave with opposition in a democracy. They do not have any faith in consensus building, spirit of accommodation or "give & take".
The leaders said that the Congress leadership has made untold sacrifices for the achievement of freedom and establishment of democratic system in the country.
"This tradition continued even after independence and Mahatma Gandhi made the supreme sacrifice soon after achieving freedom for the country from the yoke of the foreigners. Indiraji, Rajivji, and many other Congress leaders laid down their lives for upholding the unity and integrity of the country," the leaders said.
