Amit Shah terms Congress a "special purpose vehicle" for Independence

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 23 : Terming Congress as a special purpose vehicle for Independence, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the party neither had any cultural ideology nor any ideology related to the economy and formation of the nation.
Addressing a gathering in Bengaluru discussing 'Indian Polity-65 years Scenario & Paradigm Shift Under Modi Ji' organised by Samvada, the Home Minister said, "Today we are celebrating the 'Amrit Mahotsav' of independence. It is time to look at our journey from 1947 to 2022, in which time we have achieved a lot and many more are yet to be achieved."
He said that the people of India proudly say that we have the largest democracy and democratic system in the world but "we must remember that we are not the largest democracy in the world, we are the Mother of Democracy."
He said that Congress, made a huge contribution to the country's independence, but today it is engulfed in the complete dynast system. "The internal democracy of the Congress party has ended. All the socialist parties gradually turned into casteist parties and then became dynastic," he added.
Shah said that Congress didn't take birth with any ideology and it was an organisation constituting of intellectuals.
"I don't deny its contribution in the independence of the nation, but it neither had any cultural ideology nor any ideology related to the economy and formation of the nation. Congress was just a platform, and everyone dreaming and desiring of the nation's independence joined it. Congress could be better termed as a special purpose vehicle for Independence," he said.
Comparing BJP from other opposition parties, Shah said Congress was immersed in 'parivaarvad', CPI(M) had narrow thoughts about the economy but BJP followed its ideology throughout and faced a lot of struggle to become the party it is today.
"Congress has become 'parivaarvadi' party, there is no internal democracy. Samajwadi Party first became a caste-based party and then a familial party. CPI(M) had narrow thoughts about the economy, and they were wiped out from most parts of the world. BJP followed its ideology throughout and faced a lot of struggle to become the party it is today. Congress was immersed in 'parivaarvad' but not us. We conduct elections. In BJP, the speaker's father won't become speaker," he said.
He said that the main objective of Congress was to free India from colonial rule and it did not have any clear policy and ideology for something else than that very purpose.
"This was the reason for Gandhiji's call to dissolve the Congress after India attained independence," he added.
He said that BJP freed the country from casteism, dynastic rule and appeasement.
Slamming Congress for not doing development in the country, Shah said, "Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar were ruled by Congress in these states for a long time and Congress ran such a rule that these states had to be declared sick. But the BJP government came in all four states, today these states are not sick states."
He said that not a single new policy was formulated during 2004 to 2014 adding that "If Sonia Gandhi calls MNREGA program a policy, then I feel sorry for her understanding of policy, because MNREGA is a program and not a policy."
The Home Minister said the government will analyse the scenario in India dividing it into two parts- "A period of 65 years since independence, and about 10 years of the Modi government."
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking India forward in the world, Shah said, "Fight against terrorism, fight for climate change, setting up a system for disaster management, celebrating Yoga Day and war against Corona. In every field, India has taken forward leadership in the world."
"We must know that it's just the beginning of India's story! The making of a truly great India is certain in 2047, certain like the existence of the sun and the moon!" he added.
He further said that ensuring oxygen availability during the extremely challenging times of COVID concludes that if you have a leader of high sensitivity and vision, your nation can turn even the disaster into an opportunity.
"Modi Ji had been a Chai seller, someone who comes from a humble background. This is the reason he has zero confusion in the making of the policies. He has the utmost empathy about the conditions of the poor and has been very much dedicated towards serving the last person of the nation. The reforms and development in the country have been ensured in a true sense since Modi Ji came to power. The Health Sector has been strengthened implicitly through the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan," said Shah.
Highlighting the achievement of the BJP government, the Home Minister said, "Jute, milk, and pulses are products produced on a large scale in India. Our policy is to include the poor in every scheme. We have developed the health sector. We have introduced campaigns like Fit India and Khelo India."
"Medicines at cheap rates are being provided. Widows have been provided benefits. PM brought all students stuck in Ukraine. Terrorism and Naxal activities have been reduced. We have banned PFI. The defence sector has been developed," Shah added.
The Home Minister said that be it about GST or the government's fight against corruption, every such thing invites resistance, and it hurts the vote-bank, but we never cared about it and continued to walk ahead for the good of the people, for the good of the nation adding that "This is the reason there came a Paradigm Shift under Modi Ji!".
Shah said the Modi government has not endeavoured to take decisions which People think are good but has taken decisions which are good for People.
"The primary and significant pillar of the ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party is cultural nationalism. Uniquely enough, ours is a Geo-Cultural Country. I have seen Krishna in Manipuri dance, have seen Krishna in Garba of Gujarat, have listened to Krishna's stories in the Bharatnatyam. Such is the beauty of our nation, our geo-cultural nation," he added.
"We all have to make sure that by 2047, India becomes number one in the world in every aspect, it becomes the global leader," he said.
"The time has come to revisit the nation's journey since 1947 till now. Every government in the independent history of India has worked for taking the country forward. But as the country completes 75 years of her independence, we need to objectively analyse our great democratic values and the developments therein," he added.