Amit Shah hits out at Rahul Gandhi for defending dynastic politics
BJP national president Amit Shah said the Congress was banked on the ‘politics of appeasement and dynasty’.
Backing the Narendra Modi government on reforms such as demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST), Bharatiya Janata Party national president Amit Shah hit out at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday for his remarks on dynastic politics and said the BJP has always believed in the politics of performance.
Shah, who was addressing the BJP’s national executive including party leaders who are in the government at the centre and 18 states, either solely or in coalition, said the BJP-led government was working for “development and poverty reduction”, while the Congress was banked on the “politics of appeasement and dynasty”.
Shah outlined the party’s agenda for the next five years which includes fighting against poverty and corruption and for cleanliness, Union railway minister Piyush Goyal said.
“He gave a response backed with facts and figures to Rahul Gandhi’s attempts to defame India,” Goyal said. “Gandhi has said dynasty is necessary in India. Amit Shah condemned that and said BJP believes in the politics of performance,” Goyal said, citing Shah’s presidential address to the party brass.
“This is how India works,” Gandhi had said addressing students in Berkeley, California, two weeks ago when a student asked him about dynastic succession. He had cited examples from business, politics and cinema.
“The prime minister, president and vice president of India rose to their positions on the basis of performance, their merit and work,” the minister said, elaborating on Shah’s speech. “The BJP and the people of India denounce the politics of appeasement and dynasty,” he said.
Defending the government’s performance at a time when there are concerns of slowdown in the economy, Shah also supported Modi on demonetisation and the decision to roll out the Goods and Services Tax from July 1. “He dwelt at length on a number of steps taken to get rid of corruption and black money,” Goyal said.
“All illegal businesses will be captured in the framework of GST,” Goyal said, quoting from Shah’s address. Shah said under Modi the economy continued to grow at around 7%.
Asked about the recent dip to 5.7% in the first quarter of 2017-18, Goyal said, “one quarter could be a mere aberration.” He later clarified that was his own comment and not one taken from Shah’s address.
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