PM Modi attacked opposition unity, saying corrupt leaders were coming together to save themselves
Highlights
- Arch rivals came together due to black money crackdown, said PM Modi
- Opposition leaders were seen together ar HD Kumaraswamy's swearing-in
- PM also said his government works for 'Janmat' and not 'Janpath'
On a day his government entered its fifth, and last year in power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party appeared to launch the BJP's campaign for a second term at the centre with a coordinated takedown of the anti-BJP front that could come up before the 2019 general elections. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called it an
anarchist formation that didn't stand a chance against PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah was also dismissive about its possible impact.
But the sharpest attack came from PM Narendra Modi, who struck at the credibility of the front.
"Three thousand raids were conducted by various agencies and undeclared income to the tune of Rs 73,000 crore was unearthed. Tough rules against black money have sent shivers down the spines of many," he said.
It is because of this crackdown against black money and corruption that even arch rivals have been brought to one stage, PM Modi said holding up his hands and firmly clasping his hands together.
The charge was seen as an attempt to remind his supporters about the show of opposition unity at HD Kumaraswamy's oath ceremony in Bengaluru this week.
A united opposition is still a fluid concept but the imagery of the country's dozen-plus national leaders standing from end to end of the stage, firmly clutching each other's hands, was a powerful message.
"They are not coming together for the sake of the country... They are coming together to save themselves, for selfish reasons... their families... They are coming together to create instability," PM Modi said at a rally in Odisha's Cuttack on Saturday.
He also took a swipe at the Congress's first family, the Gandhis, declaring that his government did not function on the instructions of 'Janpath' but 'Janmat', or public opinion.
It was a stinging jab at Mrs Sonia Gandhi, whose official residence is located at 10, Jan Path. The BJP has long claimed that Mrs Gandhi was remotely-controlling the previous UPA government through then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
PM Modi didn't only list his government's achievements over the last four years but also gave people a benchmark to compare his performance, reminding people of the situation in the country when the previous UPA government was voted out.
The Prime Minister also said that this is a committed government instead of the confused government. "It was the commitment of the government that passed the Benami Properties Bill, instead of the confused government which delayed it for over 30 years," he added.
In Delhi, PM Modi's confidant and BJP boss Amit Shah brushed aside suggestions that a united opposition could be a challenge for the BJP, insisting that it would be a contest between PM Modi's efforts to "remove corruption and poverty" and the Opposition's single-point agenda to remove PM Modi.
"This is something new I am seeing and the Opposition seems to have decided to continue with this tactic till the 2019 polls... Its one-point agenda is 'Modi hatao' (replace PM Modi) while the BJP and PM Modi want to remove disorder, corruption and poverty to usher in stability and development," Mr Shah said, underlining that PM Modi's politics of performance will prevail over those promoting politics of dynasty, casteism and appeasement.