BJP’s ideology will ruin Indianness, warns Sonia

Congress president Sonia Gandhi launched her fiercest attack on the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), regarded as the front-runner in India’s Lok Sabha elections by most opinion polls, saying that its divisive ideology would ruin the country’s “Indianness” in a televised appeal to voters across the country on Monday night.

“Today, our society stands at cross-roads. The Congress ideology and vision will continue to take us towards a healthy, free democracy open to the light of change and transformation,” she said in the appeal that came mid-way in the elections. “Their vision, clouded with hatred and falsehood, their ideology, divisive and autocratic, will drive us to the ruination of our Bharatiyata, our Hindustaniyat (Indianness),” she said, without naming the BJP, in the appeal, which was telecast over several television news channels.

“Today I want to share with you what is in my heart, what makes me proud to be Indian, as each of you is a proud Indian. Our India is founded on certain core beliefs and values. It is these basic beliefs that have united all of us, diverse people, into one nation. I learnt these from you, as you made me one of your own,” she said. “What are these values that are the very heart and soul of our motherland? They are Love and Respect, Harmony and Brotherhood. In a word, non-violence,” she said. “Living with these feelings for each other across religions, castes, communities, regions, languages, is what makes us one strong nation. These have been the bedrock of our progress. These are the essence of our Bharatiyata, our Hindustaniyat,” she said.

Sonia said that it was this, “the very heart and soul of India”, that the Congress was fighting to protect in this election, from those who seek to change it, and to divide the people. “We want unity. They want to impose uniformity. They say, ‘Just believe in me’,” she said.

“We say, ‘Believe in our intentions, in our achievements: a high rate of growth, inclusive development, strong democratic institutions’,” she said. Sonia said the Congress was fighting in this election for a future where power is not the preserve of a select few, but exercised by the many. “In this coming election I ask each of you to think from your heart and decide what direction, what path you want our country to take,” she added.

The BJP hit back straight away, with one of their spokespersons going on television on Monday night itself to say that Sonia should not be talking about Indianness because she had not taken Indian citizenship for long years after her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi, and doing so only after he became prime minister.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said that, as the Congress shrank further, its campaign has resulted in a “naught”. “The campaign is too abstract and confused. The message is not clear. The Congress Party changed track yesterday. Rahul Gandhi-led campaign and the accompanying advertisements were given a backseat. The Congress president Sonia Gandhi herself decided to lead from the front. She addressed the country by booking television time on all channels,” he said.

“The desperation was clear. Speeches, interviews and Press conferences of political leaders are always covered by the media. The Congress president does not have to buy television time in order to have her speech conveyed to the people. The idea was to change the principal communicator of the party from the son to the mother. This was an expression of lack of confidence in Rahul Gandhi, in as much as his speeches to the people were not working. Messages on paid television time cannot last minute change the electoral agenda. Price rise, mismanagement of the economy, corruption, dilution of the office of prime minister cannot be a part of either Bharatiyata or Hindustaniyat. This message will not click. The only message yesterday’s speech of Sonia Gandhi telecast on paid television time is that Congress party’s new slogan now is ‘Mein Nahin Mom’,” he added.

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