Democracy Is "Not In Danger", Congress Is: BJP Chief Slams Rahul Gandhi

BJP national President J P Nadda on Friday said, it is Congress party and not democracy which is in danger in the country, as he attacked that party's leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks in London.

He also accused the Congress leader of challenging India's sovereignty, and urged the public to make such people sit at home.

"The way in which Congress is moving towards mental bankruptcy is reprehensible and painful. The kind of activities that the Congress party is involved in these days and what their leader Rahul Gandhi is doing is condemnable," Mr Nadda said.

Addressing a public meeting here, he said, Congress leaders are involved in corruption, commission, criminalisation, and divide and rule is their policy.

"Now they have crossed all limits...Rahul Gandhi goes to England and raises questions on India's sovereignty. He says democracy has ended here. During the recent Assembly polls- in Nagaland Congress got zero, five seats in Meghalaya and three in Tripura. It is not democracy that is in danger, your party (Congress) is in danger," he added.

The BJP President was addressing a public meeting here as part of the party's 'Vijaya Sankalpa Yatre', ahead of Assembly polls by May. He was referring to Rahul Gandhi's remarks made in London -- that structures of Indian democracy are under "brutal attack".

Further hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for allegedly seeking America and Europe's intervention into the issue of democracy in India, he said, "Should we allow such leaders to remain (in politics)? They should be made to sit at home."

Rahul Gandhi is challenging India's sovereignty, he said, as he targeted the Congress for trying to preach about democracy. Nadda pointed out that it was the Congress government at the Centre that imposed emergency on the country under Indira Gandhi's leadership.

Karnataka BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel, state Ministers R Ashoka, B Sriramulu among others were present at the public meeting.

Earlier in the day, the BJP President held roadshows at Challakere and Molakalmuru, as part of the Yatre.

Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has played a key role in changing the political culture in the country, Nadda said the politics propagated by Congress was of corruption, commission, criminalisation, dynastic rule, but the PM with a responsible leadership has begun the politics of report card in the country.

A strong and responsible government that believes in serving the people, has been established by PM Modi, he said, highlighting the concept of "New India", and listed India's growth as the fifth largest economy, and in sectors like automobile, digital payments, mobile phone manufacturing, among others.

Affirming that Karnataka's picture has changed, thanks to the push given by the "double engine government" (BJP govts both in centre and state) in various sectors and in infrastructure, the BJP President said, the state stands number one in FDI inflow, innovation, startups among other areas.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)