Cong panicky over Modi's popularity,hitting below the belt:BJP

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Nov 22 2013 | 6:31 PM IST
BJP today ruled out any rethink on Narendra Modi as its PM candidate, notwithstanding the raging controversy over the snooping on a woman by Gujarat Police, dubbing the matter as a "conspiracy" by a "panicky" Congress which was "hitting below the belt".
Party leader Nitin Gadkari also said that it was the right and the privilege of the Chief Minister to maintain surveillance and claimed Congress Chief Ministers too do it regularly. He also alleged that the Congress at the Centre "misuses" CBI and the IB.
"There is no need. It is a 100 per cent Congress conspiracy to malign Modi by using the Intelligence Bureau and the CBI," Gadkari told PTI when asked whether there has been rethink in the BJP on the PM candidate in the wake of the snooping row.
Congress, he alleged, has been resorting to politics of character assassination by targeting opposition leaders in a "below the belt manner".
His refrain was that the Congress has turned "panicky" due to growing popularity of Modi and was playing "low level politics out of frustration".
"Marta kya nahi karta (One who is drowning tries to clutch to anything)," he said referring to Congress and the tactics adopted by it.
Gadkari's remarks came on a day when Congress demanded resignation of Modi as the Gujarat Chief Minister over the alleged illegal surveillance of the woman by state agencies and sought a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the issue.
Senior Gujarat Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil also claimed that Modi had "very close" relations with the woman.
He said he had acquired information through RTI on "how public exchequer was misused to benefit the victim of the snooping" and threatened to reveal it if Modi denied the charges.
"I am not doing so now because the RTI information has the name of the woman which I don't want to reveal."
Gohil also alleged that a "compromise" was arrived at later and the state government allotted a "big project in Gandhinagar running into crores" to a company run by the woman in which two of her brothers were directors.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Nov 22 2013 | 6:31 PM IST

Next Story