'Vote Bank Politics was Your Priority over Country': JP Nadda Hits Out at Cong for Not Supporting Art 370 Repeal

Hyderabad: BJP Working President JP Nadda on Sunday hit out at the Congress for not supporting abrogation of Article 370, alleging that the party always indulged in vote bank politics though they knew the Article was not in the national interest.

"Modi ji has realized one nation, one legislation, one "nishan" (symbol)...But why does the Congress oppose it? the party says it (Article 370) was temporary. If 370 was so good, why you did not make it permanent? You had more than 400 MPs at one time, why did you not make it permanent?" he asked.

"Because you knew deep within that Article 370 was not in the national interest. You indulged in vote bank politics... vote is above the country for you...." he said, addressing a BJP public meeting here.

Nadda said that after partition, people who came to cities like Hyderabad from Pakistan became leaders, but those who made Jammu and Kashmir their home could not become even a councillor. Now with the abolition of Article 370, there would be Scheduled Caste and tribal seats, he said.

Nadda said the country's first home minister Sardar Patel, had united more than 500 princely states, "leaving one (Kashmir) for Jawaharlal Nehru, which got into problems."

Nadda, who was speaking at a meeting where some TDP leaders from various districts joined the BJP, also hit out at TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for his "dictatorial" style of functioning.

Alleging that Rao was focused only on himself and his family, he said the TRS government did not implement the NDA government's 'Ayushman Bharat' health scheme, depriving people of its benefits.

Referring to the Kaleshwaram irrigation project in Telangana, he alleged that the TRS government escalated its cost.

He also slammed the TRS government for alleged failure to effectively implement schemes like Mission Bhagiradha drinking water scheme and Mission Kakatiya (revival of water bodies) and double bedroom houses for poor.

Nadda, who was on his maiden visit to Telangana after becoming the party's working president, held meetings with the state unit's office bearers and its core committee.

He discussed the strategy to strengthen BJP in Telangana, the coming municipal elections and ongoing membership drive, BJP sources said.

He would participate in the party's membership drive here on Monday morning before returning to Delhi around noon.