Cong indulged in appeasement politics; PM Modi focused on everyone's development: Nadda

Lormi: BJP president JP Nadda on Monday accused the Congress of indulging in the politics of vote bank and appeasement and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the culture of politics in the country with focus on development of everyone.

Addressing a rally in Lormi town of Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district, Nadda highlighted the BJP-led central government's achievements in the last 10 years.

He referred to the Ram temple construction in Ayodhya, abrogation of Article 370 (which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir), notification of rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act implementation, and ban on the practice of instant triple talaq.

The rally was held to campaign for BJP candidate Tokhan Sahu in the Bilaspur Lok Sabha seat, which will go to polls on May 7.

"Today the culture of politics has changed under the leadership of Modi ji. Earlier it was asked to which caste (a person) belonged, either forward or backward, from this side of the river or the other side, from hills or plains," he said.

"The Congress made brothers fight with each other and indulged in the politics of vote-bank. Modi ji changed the definition of politics of India. He changed the way of doing work. Under his leadership, the country has been heading ahead with the slogan of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas'," Nadda said.

While they (Congress) did politics of appeasement, PM Modi did politics of "vikaswaad" (development), he added.

Nadda also claimed the Congress has always opposed Lord Ram and Sanatan Dharma.

"The Congress has always been anti-Ram and anti-Sanatan. During the Manmohan Singh-led rule when Sonia Gandhi was the UPA chairperson, it had given an affidavit in court that Lord Ram is fictional and does not have any historical basis," he said.

"Is this not true that their lawyer had asked the court to extend the (hearing in) Ram Mandir case otherwise the BJP will get benefit of the decision in the matter. They did the work of disrupting (construction of Ram temple). The Ram Mandir trust invited them (Congress leaders) for the consecration of Lord Ram's idol at the Ayodhya temple but they rejected it," Nadda said.

Should such "anti-Ram" people who see politics in everything get your support?" he asked.

"They are anti-Sanatan. Congress' partner and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Stalin, calls 'Sanatan' dengue and malaria but Rahul Gandhi didn't say anything. Even Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi did not say anything. Another DMK leader A Raja linked Sanatan to HIV. Should these people get support?" Nadda further asked.

The Congress enjoys supporting "anti-national" forces, he claimed.

"Recently in Karnataka, when (Congress leader) Naseer Hussain was elected to the Rajya Sabha, pro-Pakistan slogans were raised in the (Karnataka) assembly. But Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress chief who hails from Karnataka, did not say anything," he said.

When the Indian Army entered Pakistan and took "revenge" for the Uri (terrorist attack), the Congress asked for evidence. Should such "anti-national" forces be allowed to come forward? Nadda asked the people, to which they replied in negative.

Leaders of the opposition "INDI" alliance are either in jail or out on bail, he added.