Surjewala takes dig at BJP’s brand of politics

New Delhi: Taking a dig at the BJP, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Thursday alleged while the saffron party has been using power of currency to topple elected governments, if others join the same style and brand of politics, then how are they different. His comments came on the day 12 Congress MLAs of Meghalaya joined the Trinamool Congress.

Surjewala was commenting on the remarks by senior party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who had said that a conspiracy was being hatched to break the Congress not only in Meghalaya, but the whole northeast.

In democracy, people vote to elect you. Anything else is murder of democracy and a betrayal of people’s vote, nothing more, nothing less. Why does everybody blame the BJP and PM Narendra Modi because Modi does not believe in the power of ballot, he said at a press conference.

The BJP has been using power of the currency to topple elected governments. They have tried it across the country. They have succeeded in multiple instances, like in Karnataka, Goa, MP, Uttarakhand and an attempt was made in Rajasthan too. A successful attempt was made in Arunachal Pradesh where the assembly met in a private hotel, Surjewala, who is the party’s chief spokesperson, said.

He alleged that such attempts were also made in Meghalaya. That’s why we criticise Modi. If you join the same style and brand of politics, then how are you different? he asked. “That is what sets the Congress apart. We do not bring down elected governments, elected through the ballot”. -(PTI)

We want opposition unity: Congress

The Congress appeared unperturbed on a day when it lost 12 of 17 MLAs in Meghalaya to the Trinamool Congress, ceding the position of the state’s main opposition, as it capped a strategy meeting in Delhi on Thursday with a pledge to uphold unity among opponents of the ruling BJP. “Under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, we discussed the coming parliament session. We have to raise a lot of issues in parliament. On 29th, we will raise the MSP and farmers’ issue,” senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said. -(AGENCIES)