Cong showing love for armed forces with eye on polls: Pralhad Joshi

Joshi also said that Congress becomes a party of Hindus whenever convenient

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday accused the Congress party of making just a show of its love for the armed forces with an eye on polls and asked why did it not implement the one-rank-one-pension plan if it cared for them.

Dubbing INC as an acronym for the "Indian National Confusion", Joshi, also the BJP's Uttarakhand election in-charge, said it becomes a party of Hindus whenever convenient and a lover of the armed forces when the polls are round the corner.

"It should explain why did it not implement the OROP scheme despite being in power at the Centre for decades if it cared for the armed forces personnel. It should tell why did it not buy modern weapons and equipment required by the armed forces, he asked.

The people of Uttarakhand can never forget how the Congress once called the country's first Chief of Defence Staff and pride of the state Gen Bipin Rawat a "streetside hooligan" and demanded a proof of the surgical strike, he added.

He said it was because of the double engine BJP government in the state and at the Centre that developmental projects worth over Rs 1.5 lakh crore have been brought to Uttarakhand over the past five years.

Claiming that the people of Uttarakhand had made up their mind to re-elect the BJP, Joshi said Congress too had a double engine government in the state and at the Centre at one point of time but it wasted the opportunity to serve people.

Without naming anyone he said a former chief minister who is the biggest face of the Congress in Uttarakhand was seen in a sting video during his tenure offering a "licence to loot".

He said Rahul Gandhi's "proneness to confusion" is now becoming a characteristic of the whole party.

Citing the example of Harish Rawat without naming him, the BJP leader said first he was saying he would not contest the election and now in the face of certain defeat he was switching from one seat to another.

In an apparent reference to the way Harak Singh Rawat was re-inducted into the party, he said, "First he (Harish Rawat) put his foot down saying bullocks destroying crops will not be taken in. Now he is taking a vow along with the same bullocks to grow a new crop."

Joshi also said the BJP will formally begin its poll campaign in Uttarakhand from February 1 which will be attended by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, his Himachal and Haryana counterparts Jairam Thakur and Manohar Lal Khattar and Pradesh party president Madan Kaushik besides all former BJP chief ministers of Uttarakhand.

The party also launched its theme song and poll banner on the occasion.