130-year-old Congress pushed on backfoot by younger BJP: Patel

Pic courtesy: PTI

Ahmedabad: The 130-year-old Congress party has been pushed on the backfoot in the political arena by the BJP, which is just 36-year-old, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today said.

She was addressing the state BJP executive meeting in the neighbouring Mehsana district.

The meeting passed a political resolution criticising the Congress for straying from its core values and said it symbolised "corruption, pseudo-secularism and bad governance".

It is no more the party of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. Today, Congress has become the party of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, it said.

"Our 36-year-old party has managed to put the over 100-year-old Congress on the backfoot," Patel said.

The two-day conclave of the state BJP executive, which ended today, saw party leaders from all over the state deliberating on strategy for the 2017 Assembly elections.

"The reason behind it (Congress on backfoot) is the strength of BJP workers. Strength is in being together. In the play of snakes and ladders, it is your inherent strengths and goodness that take you up the ladder of political life," Patel said.

The political resolution said `Congress Mukt Bharat', a slogan given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was an idea to get the polity of the country rid of "nepotism, corruption, pseudo-secularism and bad governance".

It further stated that Congress has drifted far away from its core values as it was now seen standing with those who were against the culture of this country.

"It is indirectly supporting cow slaughter by saying that to eat beef is a personal choice. In the name of freedom of speech, it supported JNU students who glorified terrorists involved in Parliament attack like Afzal Guru," the Chief Minister said.

The resolution went on to criticise the state unit of Congress, saying its local leaders are running the show by merely giving statements to the media.

"Gujarat Congress is talking about giving 20 per cent quota to Economically Backward Classes. But they have not implemented this in even one state they are ruling, while we have given 10 per cent quota to EBCs in Gujarat," the resolution said.