Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda on Friday took a jibe at the Opposition meeting in Patna and said that leaders who were jailed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during emergency were now being welcomed by her grandson Rahul Gandhi. The meeting was spearheaded by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, which was attended by RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav among 15 other opposition party leaders. Both Kumar and Yadav had served jail time as student leaders while participating in a movement organised by political activist Jai Prakash Narayan in opposition to Indira Gandhi government.
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“Rahul Gandhi's grandmother Indira Gandhi had put Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar in jail but today they are welcoming Rahul Gandhi in Patna. I wonder as to what has happened in politics,” Nadda said while addressing a public meeting in Odisha's Kalahandi.
Nadda said that Kumar was jailed for 20 months and Yadav was behind bars for 22 months. He also took note of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray attending the opposition meeting, and said that his father ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’ Balasaheb Thackeray had opposed the Congress all along. “Balasaheb had once said he will shut the ‘dukaan’ (referring to his political party) rather than joining the Congress. Now, his son is closing the ‘dukaan’,” Nadda added.
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{{/usCountry}}Nadda said that Kumar was jailed for 20 months and Yadav was behind bars for 22 months. He also took note of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray attending the opposition meeting, and said that his father ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’ Balasaheb Thackeray had opposed the Congress all along. “Balasaheb had once said he will shut the ‘dukaan’ (referring to his political party) rather than joining the Congress. Now, his son is closing the ‘dukaan’,” Nadda added.
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{{/usCountry}}The BJP president further said the meeting of opposition leaders shows their desperation to defeat the BJP. “The leaders who once fought tooth and nail with the Congress are now welcoming them to their doorsteps in an attempt to gain power,” he added.