The BJP, in a fresh salvo of political sparring, attacked the Congress on Saturday, November 2, 2024, for suffering a “crisis in credibility” while positioning itself as credible in fulfilling promises under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The attack was spearheaded by BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi pitted against the record of the Congress, which, according to him, has pledges unfulfilled along with mismanagement.
Trivedi said the Modi government was more about creating and distributing wealth, and increasing welfare schemes related to health insurance, free grain distribution, and cash support for farmers as the Indian economy grew in the last ten years. “We believe in creating wealth first, then distributing it. Congress stands for creating corruption and destroying wealth,” Trivedi said as he cited alleged unkept promises from Congress-led state governments.
The attack came after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge recently lashed out at Modi’s promises, labeling them a “cruel joke” that was being played on the public. Kharge reacted after Modi used Kharge himself to lay road mines for his party, as he insinuated that the Congress makes tall promises without any fiscal planning. The first to shoot back was Trivedi, burlesquing Kharge: “Was Mr. Kharge speaking the truth on Friday or on the day before?
He has made this statement due to the pressure within his party.
Listing the Modi government’s achievements in various fields-from building the Ram temple and abrogation of Article 370 to constructing over 14 crore homes for the poor, creation of 51 crore Jan Dhan accounts, to pushing back against terrorism emanating across the border-BJP spokesperson Trivedi said, “These are indications of a promise-fulfilling government.”. Referring to Kharge’s long tenure with the Congress, Trivedi drew a contrast with Congress leaders of the past, like PV Narasimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee, whom he said managed the economy through difficult times. The Congress party today, in his estimation, has been overtaken by “urban Naxals” at the instance of Rahul Gandhi.
Trivedi also countered Kharge’s charges on economic issues, citing data from EPFO-which had risen from 11 crores to 25 crores account holders in the last ten years-pointing to infrastructure developments: housing for the poor, new airports, and rapid road construction, creating a lot of jobs.
He said, “India has become the third-largest auto manufacturer and second-largest in mobile phone making. If some are not able to see this growth, it is a serious flaw in their sight.”
Citing recent reports, he highlighted how Maharashtra, under the BJP’s leadership, had turned the tables on Karnataka, where the Congress had lost its top investment-attracting status. Some of the promises being issued by the Congress, like giving ₹1 lakh to one woman per household, were financially unsustainable; he likened them to Ponzi schemes. He further charged that the Congress’ tactics to make such promises reflected a calculated attempt at creating confusion.
Trivedi responded to the attacks on Modi’s international standing by alluding to the red-carpet welcome Modi received on recent visits to the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. Such recognitions, he said, were reflective of Modi’s growing stature on the global stage and the regard in which he is held by other heads of state, regardless of the criticism he might face at home. Incidentally, Trivedi rejected opposition MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s demands for Waqf boards and explained that such bodies dealt essentially with land administration and did not have anything to do with religious administration. He reacted now to the comments of National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah that he won’t be surprised if the Omar Abdullah regime in Jammu and Kashmir joined hands with the Center to rein in terrorism. This latest exchange between BJP and Congress underlines the political temperature going up and up as each tries to strengthen their narrative in view of impending elections. Kharge hit back at BJP attacks, saying the ruling party stood for “betrayal” and “jumla”. He further said the Modi government was defined by “lies, deceit, fakery, loot, publicity”. The war of words would thus be in the offing as every side digs in, and promises, credibility, and delivery have emerged as defining themes in the discourse.
