BJP leader Gourav Vallabh who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 4 April has again criticised the Congress and accused them of being at odds with the nation’s wealth producers, notably businessman and billionaire investor Gautam Adani.
While speaking in an interview with ANI, Vallabh said that he had asked the high command of the Congress to stop criticising Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani. This was after the Adani Group chairman was given a clean sheet by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which had launched an investigation into him over allegations made by US-based short-seller Hindenburg.
“The Congress has made a habit of going at Adani and Ambani (Reliance Industries chairperson Mukesh Ambani) night and day. I did hold a press conference (while with the Congress) in which I made certain references against Adani. However, when SEBI gave Adani a clean chit (in the probe into the Hindenburg claims), I stopped airing any public statements about him. I even advised the Congress leaders to stop criticising him after the clean chit by SEBI. But they kept going at him and continue to do so,” Vallabh told ANI.
In the interview, he also disclosed that he decided not to represent the Congress anymore on television debates or interactions with media persons after the grand old party turned down the invitation of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on January 22, this year.
“From the time I resigned my membership of the Congress, I have been saying (in interviews with media outlets) that I repeatedly told senior leaders in my former party that we cannot remain silent to opposition to ‘Sanatana Dharma’. From the day the Congress turned down the invitation to ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, I decided against representing the Congress on television shows and debates anymore. I told all senior leaders that we need to stop criticising our wealth creators, who work hard to build their wealth while also contributing to nation-building,” the BJP leader said.
Earlier on 4 April, Vallabh had tendered his resignation from the party saying that he has not been able to “raise anti-Sanatana slogans or abuse the wealth creators”. Resigning from the primary membership of the Congress, Vallabh said he does not feel comfortable with the “direction” the party is moving forward.
Gourav Vallabh said in a post on X, “I do not feel comfortable with the directionless way in which the Congress party is moving forward today. I can neither raise anti-Sanatana slogans nor abuse the wealth creators of the country. I am resigning from all posts and primary membership of the Congress party.”
While picking on Chidambaram without naming him, the former Congress leader said the party’s tally in the Lok Sabha would not have dropped to between 42 and 52 if his ideas and suggestions had any merit.
“The Congress manifesto has been drafted by the same person (Chidambaram) for the last 30 years. If his ideas had any merit or practical relevance, the Congress’s tally in the Lok Sabha wouldn’t have dropped to between 42 and 52 (seats). When I was in college, he used to defend the party on television as a spokesperson. Even today, he is the charge of Communications (in the Congress). He is a PA. You wouldn’t believe if I tell you that some people in the Congress, who are giving tickets for the Lok Sabha elections, can’t tell Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Trying asking them and see how they appear confused,” he added.
Meanwhile, Vallabh had contested last year’s Rajasthan assembly elections from the Udaipur constituency but lost to the BJP candidate by a margin of about 32,000 votes.
(With inputs from ANI)
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Published: 08 Apr 2024, 08:58 AM IST