“Name of our alliance has got under their skin”: Shashi Tharoor’s counter to BJP over ‘Ghamandia’ remark
Sep 16, 2023
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 16 : After continuous attack from BJP on Opposition bloc-INDIA over its name, Congress MP Shahsi Tharoor has hit back saying that the name of the coalition has got under the ruling party’s skin.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, Tharoor said that to apply 'Ghamand' to the opposition is ‘unnecessary’ and alleged that the ones who are in power are arrogant.
"...The arrogance of power has been very visible. So to apply 'Ghamand' to the opposition is a bit unnecessary and a bit futile because those who are arrogant are the ones who are in power. That's what we're seeing every day. I think that clearly, the name we have given the alliance has got under their skin and that's why they are reacting in this exaggerated way and even trying to privilege the name Bharat which is also both our names in the Constitution of India. So what is the problem with using either of them?" Tharoor said.
On Friday, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi called the Opposition bloc a ‘ghamandi’ (arrogant) alliance.
"Only a few people are calling it INDIA. It ought to be called the INDI alliance. Since the word alliance is repeated in the name, it is INDI alliance. It is actually a ghamandi (arrogant) alliance," the BJP leader said.
Prior to this, addressing a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district, PM Modi referred to the Opposition bloc as "INDI alliance" instead of INDIA and also termed it 'ghamandia' alliance.
Shashi Tharoor further said that the government might advance the elections of Lok Sabha.
"I think inevitably one of the key topics is going to be current political developments in the country and the actual election prospects and certainly those who have been representing us in the India Alliance meetings, we want to brief the committee (Congress Working Committee) about what's happening there...We hope that the elections are in the usual time which is six to nine months away. But it's also possible that the government might advance the elections as we've been hearing and we need to be prepared sooner rather than later..." he said.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is holding its first meeting in Hyderabad.
