Be ready for attacks inside, outside House, PM tells BJP MPs
Modi was speaking at the BJP’s parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, amidst a fractious parliamentary session, which has been disrupted by repeated calls by the opposition parties for a probe by a joint parliamentary panel into a report by US firm Hindenburg Research about Adani Group.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told lawmakers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to brace for more attacks from opposition parties in the wake of the party’s growing footprint and success in the latest round of assembly elections.
The PM also asked them to focus on social issues in their respective constituencies and said that by doing so, they would ensure better connect between themselves and voters, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
Modi was speaking at the BJP’s parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, amidst a fractious parliamentary session, which has been disrupted by repeated calls by the opposition parties for a probe by a joint parliamentary panel into a report by US firm Hindenburg Research that alleged fraud and stock manipulation by the Adani Group, whose promoter Gautam Adani is seen to be close to the Prime Minister.
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Without referring to the issue, the PM said that the opposition would try to rake up (such) issues and indulge in mudslinging every time the BJP performs well in elections, such as for instance in the recently held polls in three North Eastern States. The BJP won in two states Nagaland and Tripura and formed government with an ally in Meghalaya.
“The PM said after the Gujarat polls (in December, which the party swept), he cautioned his party colleagues that the opposition would want to vitiate the narrative. He said that as the BJP goes from strength to strength, the opposition will also intensify its attacks,” a party functionary said. This is the first BJP parliamentary party meeting in the second half of the ongoing budget session of parliament.
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The PM also said that ensuring implementation of social schemes will benefit the party and cited the example of Gujarat, where the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign has helped in improving the sex ratio.
As per Pew Research data, the sex ratio at birth in Gujarat went from 120 (boys per 100 girls) in 2001 to 105 in 2019-21.
“The PM has been stressing on focussing on social issues, building ties with different sections of people, irrespective of their faith, instead of just reaching out ahead of elections. He said when we are socially engaged with people, positive electoral outcome follows,” said a second party leader.
The PM asked BJP lawmakers to participate in programmes for social justice and use technology for better connect with their constituents. Those who are not conversant with the use of modern technology have been asked to seek help from experts, the second leader added.
“The PM asked the MPs to focus on Samajik Nyay saptah (social justice) from April 6-14. From May 15-June 15 they will have to reach out to the masses with information about the accomplishments of the union government in the past nine years,” he said.
The BJP’s OBC (other backward classes) Morcha has already lined up a series of programmes to reach out with a list of benefits that the communities have reaped since the party came to power at the Center in 2014. It will also use the occasion to draw attention to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comments against the Modi surname, which the BJP said is an insult to the OBC community at large.
K Laxman, the president of the OBC morcha told mediapersons that lawmakers from OBC communities will meet party chief JP Nadda on Thursday and also strategise on how to highlight the issue of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “insulting” remarks towards the community.
With elections coming up in a Karnataka, and then, later this year, in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana , the BJP does not want to let go of the opportunity to pin the opposition down for disrespecting OBCs who also form a significant chunk of the voter base in these states.
