Opposition climbing same tree like rats, snakes in flood: Amit Shah

Chandigarh: BJP chief Amit Shah today launched a shrill attack on opposition parties, saying they were climbing “the same tree like rats, cats and snakes” to escape the demonetisation “flood” and appealed to people to give 15 years to Prime Minister Narendra Modi “from panchayat to parliament” to change the country.

Addressing BJP’s booth workers here, Shah especially targeted Rahul Gandhi for opposing demonetisation, saying he is not surprised by the reaction of the Congress Vice President as his party’s rule during UPA I and II was “synonymous with scams”.

The scourge of black money in the country had become a cancer which needed a surgery, Shah said on demonetisation, adding “after the operation, one has to tolerate some pain, but rest of the life will be healthy.”

Tearing into the opposition, the BJP chief said the parties who were questioning the government as to what steps it had taken against black money, were “crying hoarse” after the November 8 demonetisation decision.

Despite having differences, they were putting up a united front to oppose the decision taken by the Narendra Modi dispensation, he said.

“And look what the situation has become like. It is like when floods occur and a big tree is there in the middle and everyone wants to climb that tree to save themselves from the raging waters. Rats, cats, snakes, mongoose all climb that tree.

“But when all climb the tree, neither cat eats the rat nor is he scared of the animal. The mongoose does not attack the snake …all keep staring at the raging waters down below waiting for the floods to recede”.

“After demonetisation was done by Modiji, Congress, Samajwadi Party, BSP, (Arvind) Kejriwal (AAP), Mamata (Banerjee), all of them have climbed that tree. Down below demonetisation flood is passing and all are scared.

“I want to tell them that people of this country have understood your game, you have exposed yourself,” he said during his 30-minute address.

The BJP President appealed to the people of Chandigarh to vote for BJP in the next month’s civic polls.

“I want to appeal to people of Chandigarh that we need to give 15 years to Narendra Modi, from Panchayat to Parliament, then this country can change…,” Shah said.

Earlier, Congress workers holding black flags staged protest against Shah. Their attempt to take out a procession from Sector 19 to Sector 27 – venue of the BJP meeting – was foiled by the Chandigarh police. MORE SUN AKA

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, Shah said, “Rahul Baba asks a lot of questions and wants to know answers of several things from Prime Minister Modi.

“PM Modi will answer you later, but today I am in Chandigarh, I will answer you first. First thing, which we (BJP) did is to have a Prime Minister who speaks. You had made such a person as Prime Minister whose voice was heard only by you (Rahul) and your mother (Sonia Gandhi) and not by anyone else.”

“The country’s economy had suffered due to cancer (of black money). Its surgery has been done by Narendra Modi. And in coming times, the poor and the middle class will reap benefits (of demonetisation decision). Because black money had become a scourge which was destroying our economy we have got rid of it in one go.

“And Rahul Baba is opposing this. I am not surprised at Rahul Baba’s reaction, but I spare a thought about his advisors, at least they are experienced,” Shah said.

He said it appears that the opposition “too has lost something” as now they are crying hoarse saying why demonetisation has been done.

“I want to tell you one thing, because of this one step, terror groups, drug mafia, naxal groups are not left with a single penny. The fake currency which used to be pushed from Pakistan, that has stopped. And lakhs of crores of ruppes in black money which some people had hid, that is finished now with a single stroke,” he said.

Shah said the BJP has given a clean and transparent government in the two-and-a-half years of its tenure on us.

“We have run a transparent government. No one has been able to point fingers at us,” he said and attacked the previous Congress led regime on corruption issue.

“What did you do during your time. You are seeking answers from us, but Rahul Baba you need to answer first, what you did during UPA-I and UPA-II. For ten years, your rule was synonymous with scams.

“During previous Congress rule, scams worth Rs 12 lakh crore took place–from land scams, submarine, railway scam, coal scam..you did not leave anything.

“And Rahul asks what have we done,” he said, adding mockingly that the Congress leader cannot see what this government has done because he was wearing “Italian spectacles”.

Shah spoke on the issue of surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control, stressing that it “showed strong political will of the present dispensation”.

Reaching out to common people who were facing problems due to cash shortage after the demonetisation move, Shah said, “We understand that people are facing difficulty after demonetisation was announced.

“But when there is a major disease in the body, a doctor carries out surgery to correct the ailment. After the operation, one has to tolerate some pain, but rest of the life will be healthy.”

The BJP chief aid that development “halted” when previous Congress led regime was in power at the Centre.

“When Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was in power, the GDP stood at 8 per cent and when UPA came to power GDP figure dropped to 4 per cent. During two-and-a-half years of our rule, the GDP has increased to 7.6 per cent.

“This proves when Congress comes to power development comes to a halt and when BJP is in power, development accelerates. Today, India is the fastest growing economy in the world,” he said.

PTI