Congress slams BJP, says the party should reflect on their image in the country

The Congress party on 18 September said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should reflect on their image, if their President (Amit Shah) himself has been summoned to the court in a riot case.

"They should realize what kind of image BJP has in India if their National President has to be summoned in a riots case," Congress MP Sushmita Dev told ANI.

Amit Shah today appeared before a sessions court in Ahmedabad as Maya Kodnani's witness in the 2002 Naroda Gam riots case.

The former minister of state for Women and Child Development in the Government of Gujarat, Maya Kodnani, has been accused of involvement in the Naroda Gam massacre that broke out on 28 February, 2002, killing 11 Muslims.

Dev also said that BJP talks a lot about the 1984 Riots, but stays quiet about the 2002 Gujarat riots.

"They should first introspect themselves before making claims against Congress," Dev quipped.

Continuing her attack on BJP, Dev also criticised Prime Minister Modi-led government's economic policies.

"It is wrong to state that PM Modi gave economic integration to India because he has done economic disasters," Dev said, giving demonetisation, farmers, and rise in petrol prices as examples for the same.

Mocking the BJP/RSS led government, Dev said that the slogan of "Acche din" has become a joke for the poor, the farmers, and the common people.

Responding to the defamation case filed by Rashtriya Samajsevak Sangh (RSS) against claims of RSS's connection in senior journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder, Dev, "If an RSS worker has filed a defamation case against the claim that RSS is behind Gauri Lankesh's murder then the entire country would be held in the case; if RSS heeds to social media, they will find that the entire country is saying that RSS is behind her killing."

Dev further said that the Congress party is not afraid of the defamation case, adding, "It's in fact a good opportunity to bring the history of RSS- from (Nathuram) Godse to (Maya) Kodnani- in front of the judiciary."

The Congress leader also slammed the BJP government in Haryana for the delayed CBI investigation into the murder case of a student within the premises of Gurugram's Ryan International School.

Dev said that the value of an investigation becomes questionable if the crime site is not sealed and public is allowed to enter the area.

The now infamous Ryan International School reopened today, even before the CBI investigation of the school could take place.

"This issue should be taken seriously, because it creates fear among the public about the ability of government to maintain law and order," Dev added. 

-ANI