Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 11 Nov: BJP today launched a sharp attack on former Congress president Sonia Gandhi over the revelations and the observations contained in her book. In a statement issued today, BJP State President and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt alleged that the book has once again exposed what the party described as the Congress’ ‘dark chapter’ of minority appeasement and political double standards.
Bhatt claimed that the contents of the book reflect the policies and the positions that the country is already familiar with. Referring to Sonia Gandhi’s remarks on the demolition of the disputed Babri structure, Bhatt alleged that Congress leaders have consistently displayed sympathy in issues linked to appeasement politics while remaining silent on instances involving the sacrifice of nationalists, security personnel and Ram devotees.
He alleged that the Congress leadership has repeatedly prioritised vote-bank politics and cited a number of past controversies to support his criticism. Bhatt claimed that emotional reactions have been expressed over the demolition of the disputed structure and encounters involving terrorists, but not over incidents involving the deaths and sacrifices of those he described as patriots and security personnel. He also referred to the Batla House encounter, the Shah Bano case, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and other issues, accusing the Congress of following policies driven by appeasement.
The BJP leader further alleged that Sonia Gandhi, through her book, has attempted to defend former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi against criticism over the handling of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. Referring to claims made regarding the role of the Army during the violence, Bhatt said blaming former Army Chief General Arun Kumar Vaidya for delays in deploying the Army is incorrect and amounts to disrespect towards the armed forces. He maintained that Rajiv Gandhi’s remarks made after the riots remain a matter of public record and controversy.
Bhatt said that the book appears to be an attempt to cleanse the image of the Congress leadership and the Gandhi family, but instead had revived debates surrounding several controversial episodes associated with previous Congress governments. According to him, the disclosures have raised fresh questions over the party’s historical positions on matters concerning national security, religious issues and governance.
Asserting that the people of Uttarakhand place great importance on nationalism, the armed forces and Sanatan traditions, Bhatt said the public would not tolerate any perceived insult to the Army, patriots or religious beliefs. He expressed confidence that voters would hold the Congress accountable for what he described as its past mistakes through democratic means.
