INC Must Be Renamed As Muslim League Congress For Its Appeasement Policy, Says Sambit Patra

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sambit Patra on Wednesday slammed the Congress for its appeasement policy and said that the grand old party should be termed as Muslim League Congress (MLC). Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Patra also demanded an apology from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and alleged that AIMIM president Akbaruddin Owaisi was trying to project himself as 'neo Jinnah'.

The BJP leader said that Ashok Chavan said in a meeting that they formed a government with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra on the appeal of Muslim brothers. “We have formed the government in Maharashtra with Shiv Sena on the appeal of our Muslim brothers. Muslims were saying that BJP is their prime enemy. Thus, we should make the government with Shiv Sena to keep them out of power. This is an appeasing statement from the former CM," Patra said.

Patra alleged the country was divided because of the personal ambitions of two people — Jinnah and Jawaharlal Nehru. He also accused the opposition of creating confusion in the country about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NPR. It is especially the Congress party.

Patra also referred to a statement from an NCP leader to attack the opposition. Asked about Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's reported jibe at the RSS for its "non-participation" in the freedom movement, the BJP leader shot back, asking if parents of Sonia Gandhi, who is of Italian origin, had fought in India's independence struggle.

The Indian National Congress, he said referring to the opposition party's full name, should be called "Muslim League Congress".

Earlier, Patra said that Rahul Gandhi should drop his surname as it was ‘stolen’ by his family for political gains, BJP leader Sambit Patra said.

"They stole the Gandhi name for political gains. He should give up the name of Gandhi. You (Rahul Gandhi) are a political deserter," Patra alleged.

Hitting out at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi over her several visits to meet those arrested and injured in the anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh, Patra said she understands pain "selectively".

He also asked when will she visit Kota in Congress-ruled Rajasthan where several children have died in a hospital.

"I give her Kota challenge and ask her when will she go to Kota where under the nose of the Congress government in Rajasthan so many children have died. She herself is a mother, she should realise the pain of other mothers as well," Patra said at a press conference at the BJP's party office here.

"It seems she understands the pain selectively as when she visited AIIMS trauma centre she chose to look away from the injured students who differed from her ideology. This reeks of selectivism," Patra alleged.

With PTI Inputs