Agartala: Senior Congress leader and Rajya MP Mukul Wasnik on Thursday branded the Bharatiya Janata Party as a real challenge to Indian democracy given its “track record of demolishing” democratically elected governments.
The Congress leader, who has been assigned by the AICC as a senior observer for the poll-bound state, also said that the Congress is keen to enter the electoral contest with a combination that could stop the BJP from making a comeback.
“BJP is not a challenge for us only. This party also poses a challenge to Indian democracy. Whether they get the popular mandate or not, they try to form their government. If they emerge victorious, they form government in the traditional way and if they fail to bag the majority, they indulge in demolishing the party that won the majority,” he said.
A three-member team of observers led by Wasnik reached Tripura on Thursday and held a slew of meetings at the Congress Bhavan. The senior leaders met the members of PCC, Mahila Congress, Youth Congress, Seva Dal, and other frontal wings of the party to review poll preparedness.
Briefing the media persons, Wasnik said, “The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has unleashed a reign of terror in the name of good governance. The law and order situation is in dire state. BJP-sponsored hooligans are enjoying their field days in Tripura. Is this what the people of Tripura wanted from the BJP?”
Mocking the statement of BJP National President JP Nadda, Wasnik said, “Nadda ji is here to seek vote for BJP. He belongs to Himachal Pradesh, where a Congress government was formed a few days back. If the people of his own state did not listen to his words even after knowing him for years, does he feel the people of Tripura are so dumb that they will cast their votes in favour of BJP?”
“Before the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP promised that the safety of women will be a top priority of the government. As per the government records, 18 to 20 sisters, daughters and mothers of the state are being subjected to brutal crimes. The name of an influential BJP leader’s son was linked to a sensational gang rape incident. A debt-ridden family of Mohanpur committed suicide. These incidents explain the state of affairs,” said Wasnik.
On being asked about the CPIM’s proposal of unity between secular forces, the Congress leader refused to disclose anything but admitted that talks were underway. “Dialogues are underway but anything related to such things should be divulged when things take concrete shape. As soon as the talks conclude, everything will be made public,” he said.
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“We want to form a strong combination of political forces that can prevent the BJP. The Congress workers are working day and night on a war footing, wasting even a moment to make sure that BJP is defeated in the next assembly polls,” the Congress leader said.
Wasnik was flanked by Congress CWC member of Tripura in-Charge Dr Ajay Kumar, Observer for Tripura polls Arvinder Singh Lovely and Lok Sabha MP Abdul Khalid.
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