NCP Nawab Malik targets BJP, Cong attacks Union Minister Nitin Gadkari over minister's remarks

A day after Union minister Nitin Gadkari said leaders who fail to fulfil promises get "beaten up" by people, the NCP said his remarks reflected voices within the BJP against "failure" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi while a Congress leader accused Gadkari of "lying".

NCP's national spokesperson Nawab Malik on Monday claimed that Gadkari, the Lok Sabha member from Nagpur, was also trying to establish himself as an alternative to Modi "as the BJP was going to lose" the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

 "The way Gadkariji has become outspoken after the Assembly polls in the three states (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh), it indicates there will be no Modi and BJP government after the polls," Malik said.

NCP's ally Congress had last month emerged victorious in the elections in these three Hindi heartland states, dislodging the BJP from power there.

"Somewhere, voice is being raised within the BJP over Modi's failure. Since the BJP is going to lose, he (Gadkari) is trying to establish himself as the alternative to Modi," Malik said.

Congress leader from Nagpur Ashish Deshmukh attacked Gadkari, saying he was "lying" and charged the minister with not keeping promises he had made to people about separate Vidarbha state, sea-plane at Ambazari lake in Nagpur and others.

Deshmukh said Gadkari's remarks applied to the minister as well.

Hence, people of Nagpur are eager to give him a "jolt" in the upcoming polls for showing false dreams to farmers, to youth about employment, and those pertaining to industries, tourism, education and medical services, a statement quoted Deshmukh as saying.

Gadkari had on Sunday said political leaders who sell dreams to people, but fail to make them a reality get "beaten up" by the public.

The minister had asserted he is a doer and delivers on his promises.

Last month, Gadkari said at an event in Pune that leadership should have the tendency to own up defeat and failures.

The remarks had come days after the BJP's dismal show in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls.

At the valedictory function of the annual Marathi literary meet at Yavatmal on January 13, Gadkari had said politicians should not interfere in other fields.

The meet was embroiled in a controversy after an invitation to writer Nayantara Sahgal was withdrawn apparently under pressure from a political party.

-PTI