Slamming the BJP for “breaking” the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said that they first called the NCP leaders corrupt and then made them ministers in its government.
Mehbooba, who was talking to media-persons here, said that this shows that the “BJP is the most corrupt party.”
In an obvious reference to the charges of corruption levelled against the NCP leaders a few days ago by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh, Mehbooba alleged that “the BJP has misused the ED and the CBI to finish the opposition in the country.”
Claiming that the political developments in Maharashtra will further strengthen the opposition unity, Mehbooba said: “If you look at the vote percentage of the opposition, it is between 63 to 64, whereas the BJP led NDA has only 36 or 37.”
She accused the BJP of using money power and threatening to manipulate and break other parties and by indulging in such tactics they are not only destroying the constitution but also democracy.
She said that the BJP has broken the NCP as it was fearing defeat in upcoming Lok Sabha elections because of the opposition unity.
The BJP’s actions are damaging India’s reputation as a vibrant democracy and a soft power, she said. ”India is famous across the world as a vibrant democracy and a soft power. You are damaging and destroying it. It will not break the unity of opposition but further strengthen it.”
The fight is not between the opposition and the BJP, but between the opposition and the BJP plus agencies like NIA, ED, and CBI, she alleged. The Opposition will win this fight, she said.
On the issue of the Uniform Civil Code, Mehbooba questioned the BJP’s notion of uniformity. ”What uniformity are they talking about? We already have a uniform criminal code. It is working perfectly,” she said.
Mehbooba also raised the issue of price rise and unemployment. ”If the proposed uniformity results in lower tomato prices, the creation of two crore jobs, and punishment to rapists, then the opposition would welcome it.”
She said the Centre should focus on implementing laws that protect and empower women. Complaints of harassment made by some female wrestlers against an influential person have not so far been redressed by the BJP government, she added.