New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) is about on framing Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s 2019 remarks concerning the surname “Modi” — which led to his conviction in a defamation case and subsequent disqualification from Parliament Friday — for instance of the Congress being “anti-OBC (Different Backward Courses)”. The BJP has begun a drive to consolidate its personal OBC votebank utilizing this narrative.
The social gathering has deliberate a nationwide marketing campaign, calling Gandhi’s assertion an insult to the OBC neighborhood, and likewise countering the Congress agitation protesting the chief’s disqualification.
Many BJP leaders that ThePrint spoke to mentioned that the social gathering is about to achieve as Rahul Gandhi vs Modi has higher polarising potential than some other situation. They identified that in 2019 (Lok Sabha elections), the Chowkidar Chor Hai marketing campaign backfired on the Congress. Likewise, they agreed, Gandhi’s disqualification will work within the BJP’s favour. The social gathering, which faces anti-incumbency in Karnataka, can use this situation in opposition to the Congress within the coming state meeting elections, they mentioned.
Whereas senior BJP leaders have mentioned the social gathering didn’t have a hand in Gandhi’s disqualification, social gathering sources instructed ThePrint {that a} assembly led by the prime minister Thursday night selected the plan of action.
Some senior BJP leaders additionally instructed ThePrint that the Congress chief wanted to be “taught a lesson”.
Additionally learn:‘Received’t apologise as I’m Gandhi, not Savarkar,’ says Rahul in 1st press convention after disqualification from LS
Reaching out to OBCs
Alleging that Gandhi had in contrast the OBC neighborhood (to which PM Modi belongs) to thieves, BJP nationwide president J.P. Nadda attacked the Congress chief Friday, hours earlier than his disqualification.
He tweeted, “Rahul Gandhi calls the whole OBC neighborhood thieves. He will get a flak within the Courts however he refuses to apologise thus displaying how deep rooted his hatred for OBCs is…”
Now, Mr. @RahulGandhi calls the whole OBC neighborhood thieves. He will get a flak within the Courts however he refuses to apologise thus displaying how deep rooted his hatred for OBCs is. The folks of India didn’t forgive him in 2019…in 2024 the punishment can be extra extreme.
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) March 24, 2023
Whereas social gathering leaders insist Gandhi’s disqualification was a very long time coming, alleging that he’s a recurring offender, the event, they are saying, will profit the social gathering.
The Teli neighborhood has deliberate a nationwide protest in opposition to Gandhi, mentioned MP and BJP chief Ramdas Tadas.
The Maharashtra unit of the social gathering held protests in all six Lok Sabha constituencies of the state Saturday, looking for his apology for insulting the prime minister and the OBC neighborhood.
Senior social gathering leaders and ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhupendra Yadav have additionally spoken out in opposition to Gandhi.
At a press convention Friday, Yadav attacked the Congress for elevating questions on the court docket verdict. He requested, “ Are the Congress and Rahul Gandhi above the regulation? Is it a nationwide chief’s job to abuse and insult a surname? Everyone ought to respect the regulation. I imagine the Congress and Rahul Gandhi are responsible of disrespecting the OBCs.”
Who will get to achieve
In the meantime, a central BJP chief mentioned to ThePrint, “Rahul Gandhi isn’t any Indira Gandhi who turned the tables even after an enormous blunder just like the Emergency. When she was arrested on corruption expenses, she obtained a variety of sympathy…and received the following elections.”
“Even Sonia Gandhi obtained a variety of sympathy when she was attacked over her ‘overseas origin’. However the social gathering is satisfied that in a Rahul-Modi battle, the latter will all the time win,” he mentioned.
A former Union Cupboard minister mentioned to ThePrint that the Congress can also profit from Gandhi’s expulsion if it performed its playing cards proper. “If Rahul Gandhi performs the sympathy card or declares one other yatra like his Bharat Jodo Yatra, he could possibly revive his cadre,” he mentioned.
“The Congress does have a possibility right here however the PM and Amit Shah should have thought concerning the ramifications of the disqualification transfer,” he mentioned.
BJP hits again
Senior social gathering leaders have maintained that the social gathering has nothing to do with Gandhi’s disqualification, as alleged by the Congress.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi instructed reporters in Parliament Friday, “There isn’t a function of the BJP on this choice because the court docket has discovered him responsible and the Speaker acted on that court docket choice. Rahul Gandhi was repeatedly defying the system, the regulation. He didn’t apologise earlier than the court docket…it’s his conceitedness which led to the court docket choice and his disqualification.”
Union Info and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur mentioned to ThePrint, “The judgment was clear. The Supreme Court docket had cautioned him (Gandhi) earlier as properly however he thought he was above the regulation. It was a court docket judgment on his conduct… His disqualification is a pure fallout of the court docket verdict. The regulation of the land is identical for everybody.”
Nonetheless, sources within the BJP instructed ThePrint that the PM held a gathering with senior ministers Thursday night the place it was felt {that a} message wanted to be despatched out that the regulation was the identical for all – be it Gandhi or Abdullah Azam Khan, the UP legislator who was disqualified following his conviction in an previous case.
A senior social gathering chief instructed ThePrint on the situation of anonymity, “It was a properly calculated transfer. All Cupboard ministers have been agency on not giving Gandhi one other likelihood. He has been a recurring offender.”
Accusing Gandhi of creating “allegations with none substance”, he mentioned, “Who stopped him from apologising earlier than the court docket? The case was occurring for 4 years, the decision didn’t are available in a day…”
One other Union minister mentioned to ThePrint, “It was mandatory to show Gandhi a lesson as he was recklessly disrespecting establishments, making allegations in opposition to the prime minister with none substance…it was felt (within the social gathering) that for the reason that Speaker was performing on the court docket verdict, it would additionally defend the social gathering (from backlash)… however this was wanted.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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