New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) Union Minister J.P. Nadda on Sunday lashed out at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over the INDIA bloc’s ‘Chalo Dilli’ march, calling it a “calculated conspiracy to sow chaos” in the country, while claiming that the rally will prove to be the “final nail in the coffin of the Congress’ political decline”.
Calling the Opposition’s rally a “well-orchestrated political drama” staged by those “repeatedly rejected by the public, Nadda, the former BJP chief, said that the people will “no longer fall for their deceptions”.
This came as the INDIA bloc launched its ‘Chalo Dilli’ march on Sunday to protest against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the alleged voter irregularities.
Addressing a press conference here, Nadda said: “What is unfolding today at Ramlila Maidan is not an act of respect for democracy; rather, it is a calculated conspiracy to sow chaos — to plunge the nation into anarchy under the guise of democratic principles. It is nothing more than a foolish, well-orchestrated political drama staged by those who have been defeated and repeatedly rejected by the people. The public understands this perfectly well.”
“I wish to reveal Rahul Gandhi’s model of politics to the nation today. Its first phase involves spreading lies and creating an uproar. The second phase entails inciting chaos and disorder on the streets. The third phase involves damaging the nation’s economy. And the fourth phase is an attempt to destabilise an elected government at the behest of foreign powers,” he alleged.
Calling the rally a “drama by Rahul Gandhi”, Nadda said the march has four objectives — “First, to rub salt into the wounds of our Sikh brethren. Second, to orchestrate riots and chaos in Delhi in a deliberate attempt to destabilise a democratically elected government. Third, to rob the shopkeepers and traders of Delhi of their earnings during the festive season. And fourth, to bring disrepute to the nation.”
Warning Rahul Gandhi, the Union Minister said: “This is India, not some ‘banana republic’ where you can incite arson, trigger riots, or push an agenda for ‘regime change’ whenever you please. Stop dreaming, Rahul Gandhi. India is the world’s oldest and most robust democracy.”
Nadda said that November 1 stands as the “most infamous and darkest chapter” in India’s democratic history.
“It was on this very day that thugs, nurtured by the Congress, carried out a massacre of our innocent Sikh brethren. Thousands of Sikh families were rendered homeless overnight, and thousands of women were left widowed. The nation has not forgotten. Even today, the ‘Widow Colony’ in Delhi stands as a testament to that horrific and cruel history of the Congress,” he said.
To this day, Nadda alleged that the Gandhi family has “not offered a sincere apology” to the Sikh community for their “grave sin”, and Rahul Gandhi has chosen the very date to “rub salt into the wounds of the Sikh community”.
“Witness the insensitivity of the Congress and the petty mindset of Rahul Gandhi. On this dark day, a day when the nation ought to be remembering the martyrs and the victims, Rahul Gandhi stands at Ramlila Maidan, seeking only to further his own political agenda,” he added.
The objective of Gandhi and the Congress, according to the Union Minister, is to bring Delhi to a “standstill, jeopardise the livelihoods of our small-scale shopkeepers and traders, and incite an atmosphere of unrest and rioting in the country” during the festive season.
“It is the festive season; Dhanteras, Diwali, and Chhath Puja are upon us. Throughout the year, our small traders, street vendors, and shopkeepers look forward to this period, hoping to earn enough to buy clothes for their children and cover their household expenses. Yet, Rahul Gandhi shows no concern for whether these traders can keep their hearths burning; his only interest is in stoking the fires of his own politics,” he added.
Nadda noted that the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) had sent several separate letters to Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, and Mamata Banerjee, urging them not to hold such large-scale political events in Delhi during the festive season.
“Previous protests have already cost Delhi’s traders a loss of approximately Rs 3,000 crore. Furthermore, it is estimated that this current political spectacle could result in losses exceeding Rs 10,000 crore for our shopkeepers,” he said.
He said that major Delhi markets like Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, Khari Baoli, Karol Bagh, and the entirety of Central Delhi are home to a vast number of small-scale traders.
“However, Rahul Gandhi, I want to ask all the allies of the INDIA bloc today: are you also complicit with the Congress party in the sin of rubbing salt into the wounds of our Sikh brothers? Are you also partners in the sin of causing the ruin of Delhi’s traders? Have you reached a point where, in your hatred for the BJP, you have begun to hate the people of this country as well?” Nadda questioned.
Taking aim at Gandhi over his foreign trips and “insulting” remarks made against the country during those visits, the Union Minister asked, “Is this your agenda? Is your objective not the nation’s development, but the spread of destruction across the country?”
“I want to state clearly to Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party that the people of India will no longer fall for your deceptions. Your ‘toolkit’ of chaos has now been exposed,” he added.
“Rahul Gandhi, listen carefully: you cannot conceal the dark history of November 1. You cannot escape being held accountable for the tears of the traders of Delhi. India is a robust democracy. It will be governed not by your riot-driven politics, but by the Constitution and the mandate of the people. This rally of yours will prove to be the final nail in the coffin of the Congress party’s political decline,” he added.
–IANS
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