BJP has won first round of ideological challenge on nationalism: Arun Jaitley

New Delhi: Vowing to take forward the ‘ideological battle’ on nationalism, Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said the BJP has won the first round as people who raised anti-India slogans have been forced to say ‘Jai Hind, if not Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.

Jaitley also took a swipe at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi who had visited JNU following an event where anti-India slogans had been raised. He said, "Some people are questioning the nationalism of Savarkar, who inspired lakhs and crores of countrymen. These very people are attending programmes of those who talk of breaking up India."

"This is a huge challenge for us. This is a big ideological challenge. We should consider this an ideological battle and I feel we have won its first round. Now people who were raising slogans against the country have started saying they will chant 'Jai Hind', if not 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.

"Atleast they have been said something to convey their allegiance to the country. This was your ideological victory that you forced them to say this," he said while addressing the Executive Committee meeting of the Delhi BJP.

Jaitley said while BJP's ideology is inspired by nationalism, “it is a strange situation where talking about breaking up the country is called freedom of expression. The law or Constitution does not permit this anywhere. And it is happening in the national capital."

Asking party workers in Delhi to reach out to SCs/STs and women, Jaitley said the government would in the next few days launch the 'Stand Up India' scheme where every bank branch will give Rs 1 crore loan to SC/STs and women to start big ventures and become big entrepreneurs.

In a scathing critique of the Congress, the Finance Minister said the party's base was shrinking throughout India and voters would soon turn Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of 'Congress-free' India into a reality.

"Modiji once called for a Congress-free India. Congress has already lost Arunachal Pradesh. It can lose its government in Uttarakhand any day. In the upcoming Kerala and Assam elections there are clear signals that it would wind up. Indian voters will convert Modiji's slogan for Congress-free India into a reality. We are headed in that direction," Jaitley said.

Asking the saffron ranks to occupy political space in Delhi and across India, Jaitley said Congress had lost its ground and BJP was now emerging as the centre-stage party.

"The Congress' aim these days is to be the tail-end of any political alliance. It is like the 10th or 11th batsman in a cricket match. In Bihar, they allied with Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. In Tamil Nadu, they are seeking seats from the DMK. Congress is the new tail-ender of every alliance. This is the state to which the Congress leadership has driven the party to."

Slamming the Congress for Parliament disruptions, Jaitley described its politics as that of a 'fringe' party.

"Mainstream political parties practise mainstream politics. But Congress practises the politics of fringe... Only fringe political parties work to stall the progress of country," he said while pointing out the work being stalled in Parliament due to disruptions.

Attacking the AAP dispensation, he said it was a government of ‘confrontations rather than constructive work’ and added people who came out in favour of those who wanted to break India are today wanting to crush opposition and democracy in Delhi.

"They were not bothered about throttling the voice of democracy and freedom of expression. There cannot be a bigger attack on democracy or independence when someone is targetted because he conveyed his critical views through a newspaper," he said referring to the controversy around Vijender Gupta, a BJP MLA in the Delhi Assembly.

Jaitley said the disillusionment against AAP government was rising and BJP should stand to gain from it. He also said the ‘politics of theatrics’ can be done only within limits.

"All sections have started dissociating with them one after the other. And it is difficult to regain their support. Congress is not in a position to gain from that and that is why that space is available to BJP in Delhi," he said.

Exuding confidence that the BJP would form the next government in Assam, Jaitley said he could see Congress losing base even in Punjab.

Crediting BJP's massive Lok Sabha polls win in 2014 on complete distrust in Congress and mass acceptance of Narendra Modi's leadership, Jaitley said, "The result of Modiji's acceptance is that the BJP, once considered a north Indian party today has become a centre-stage party."

He claimed that BJP was all set to form government in Assam and make major gains in Kerala. "With this kind of public acceptance come three responsibilities -- one to steer the country on the path of fast progress, to remain the principal voice whenever clouds of danger hover over national unity and to give an alternative government that is honest and accountable.”

The Finance Minister said the main difference between Congress and the BJP was that the latter believed in transparent government and has created systems to enable accountability.

"We are leaving impressions of honesty with our work. But look at Congress scandals. Wherever their governments have been in power, whether in Punjab or Himachal or Kerala, charges of graft have flown thick and fast. Then they cry of political conspiracy," Jaitley said.

In a veiled attack on Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh, whose kin are facing allegations of holding money in foreign accounts, the Finance Minister said, "We did not ask them to open bank accounts in Switzerland. All these charges being probed are those started during the Congress government in 2011. During their governance, no action was taken."