Because of surgical strike, PM Modi came back to power in 2019; INDIA bloc will come to power in 2024: Veerappa Moily

Mangalore (Karnataka) [India], April 21 : Former Karnataka Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling the surgical strikes of 2019 "bogus" and claiming that PM Modi used them to gain political advantage.
"The 2024 election is different from 2014 and 2019. In 2019 Modi carried out this surgical strike. One of the former governors of Kashmir Mr Mallik who has been in BJP said the surgical strike is bogus. Because of that bogus surgical strike, Modi came back to power in 2019," Moily said.
Moily asserted that the INDIA bloc is gaining momentum, highlighting that this is the first time in India's history that such a strong alliance has come together
"INDIA bloc is picking up. First time in the history of the country there is such a strong alliance like the INDIA alliance. This time everyone is united, except West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. She said that she would not join but she would definitely join later. With such strong commitment among the members of the alliance to fight against the BJP-NDA, it is clear that the INDIA bloc is set to come to power in the upcoming election," Moily said
Moily, a former Union Minister, also praised Dr Manmohan Singh's tenure as the Prime Minister.
"Dr Manmohan Singh was the best prime minister. In his tenure, the GDP was high as our economy is competing with China and everybody, whether it is Obama or any leader of France. But they all used to say when Dr Manmohan speaks entire world speaks that is the kind of stature it was and now what is the position today we have not heard of G20, SAARC... this non-alignment summit. They all disappeared," Moily said.
Regarding international conflicts, Moily criticized PM Modi's leadership for its neutral stance and lack of a strong voice on global issues.
"India used to take the lead, and meetings were frequently held whenever there was a Cold War conflict anywhere in the world. The Non-Aligned Movement used to condemn such conflicts and call for an end to genocide. This was the message from Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Manmohan Singh. That was how India's leadership approached international issues at the time,"
"However, now, no strong statements are being made. No meetings have been held on this Non-Aligned Movement. The leadership that used to be prominent has diminished because of the neutral stance taken by Narendra Modi. This has caused India to lose its position as a world leader. The ongoing conflicts, such as the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the Israel-Gaza conflict, raise questions about India's voice, which was once strong in international affairs," he added.
Further reacting to the Hubbali murder case Moily said, "The incident is a tragic event where the daughter of our own Congress Deputy Mayor was murdered. It's a crime that we all strongly condemn. BJP leader Yediyurappa claims that Congress is not taking it seriously. Who isn't taking it seriously? We are taking action on this. They are turning this into a political issue. No one should politicize the murder of an innocent girl."
"Modi has launched a significant campaign with the slogan 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter). However, crime rates against women are doubling, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. What has happened to the promise behind the slogan? Even the Nirbhaya Fund, established during the UPA government when I was the Law Minister, has seen its nominal funding reduced. This fund was intended to improve infrastructure for the safety of women. Given this context, these people have no moral right to claim they are the protectors of women. It is only the Congress party that worked on the Nirbhaya Act, tightened laws, and is committed to protecting women and girls," he added.
The victim, Neha Hiremath, daughter of Congress Corporator Niranjan Hiremath, succumbed to multiple stab wounds inflicted by Fayaz, a former friend and classmate who has since been arrested.
The last rites of the twenty-four-year-old daughter of a Congress corporator, who was killed on a college campus in Hubbali, were performed by her parents on Friday.
The Congress government in Karnataka is under severe pressure on law and order in the state after the twenty-four-year-old daughter of a Congress corporator was stabbed to death on the college campus in Hubbali.
The state unit of the ABVP and the BJP protested the murder in Hubballi and Bengaluru on Friday and the issue is likely to flare up with the state going to the Lok Sabha Polls on April 26 and May 7.