INDORE: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Union minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday launched a sharp attack against the Congress over its decision to sing only the first two verses of the national song, Vande Mataram.
Addressing reporters in Indore, the BJP MP from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh accused the top Congress leadership of disrespecting constitutional norms and national traditions.
Taking a direct swipe at the Gandhi family, Thakur claimed that Sonia Gandhi and her children could not spare even three minutes and ten seconds to sing the national song in its entirety. He demanded an explanation from the Opposition party, asking what forced them to adopt such a stance regarding the national song.
“The Congress’s Gandhi family always considers itself above the country’s rules and the Constitution,” Thakur alleged while speaking to media personnel.
Continuing his offensive against the opposition party, the former Union minister brought up historical grievances, accusing the party of undermining constitutional principles over the years. “Babasaheb Ambedkar gave the country the Constitution, but the Congress insulted him and tore it to pieces,” he charged, further stating that the “dark chapter” of the Emergency unfolded across the nation due to the grand old party.
Thakur also trained his guns on Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming student outreach initiative, titled “Chhatron Ki Goonj,” which is scheduled to take place in Indore on September 19. Dismissing the outreach effort, the BJP leader remarked that the Congress leader needs to alter his political approach if he wants to resonate with the younger generation.
“The day Rahul Gandhi stops insulting the country, cursing Sanatan religion, and abandons appeasement politics, the youth of the country will start taking him a little seriously,” Anurag Thakur stated.
Later in the day, addressing an event in the city, Thakur called upon young citizens to take an active role in driving India’s developmental journey. He emphasized that the youth must play a central role in achieving the vision of building a fully developed nation by the year 2047.
Highlighting the economic progress made over the past decade, the BJP leader praised the rapid expansion of the country’s entrepreneurship climate. He pointed out that while India had approximately 500 start-ups in 2014, that number has witnessed a massive surge, growing to over 2.23 lakh start-ups today.
