Former student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who joined the Congress in the week, on Friday flipped the BJP’s catchphrase of “Tukde Tukde gang”, saying that he firmly believed the party is defeated in elections and he would see thereto.
“The BJP calls me ‘Tukde-Tukde gang.’ i’m ‘Tukde-Tukde’ for the BJP, and that i will do ‘Tukde-Tukde’ of BJP. This party considers Godse the daddy of the state, not Gandhi. They only praise Gandhi before of [US President Joe] Biden,” he told NDTV in an interview.
Stemming from allegations of “anti-national” slogans raised during a 2016 event at Delhi’s premier national leader University when he was president of the students’ union that are yet to be proven in any court, Mr Kumar has been frequently given the secessionist label by the BJP and its supporters.
Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and residential Minister Amit Shah a “Nathuram-banai jodi” in regard to Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Gandhi and a hero for several right-wing groups affiliated to the BJP, Mr Kumar said the party’s ideology was openly against the daddy of the state.
“Like many other youngsters, I feel that it’s getting late. The party which has the legacy of winning freedom for the country, to save lots of that freedom, that party must be the strongest. people who are focussed only on their political career are joining BJP today,” he said.
Mr Kumar also stood in defence of his new party’s leadership that has faced searing criticism from within within the wake of a series of crises in states that it governs and an exodus of prominent leaders.
“Criticism of the Congress leadership helps the BJP… Everybody understands that when the country’s biggest opposition party is Congress, the more successful Congress are going to be, the larger the defeat BJP will face,” he said.
“All other opposition parties are regional parties. Congress is that the only opposition force with a national presence. It always had the potential… (The BJP) can absolutely be defeated… If I didn’t think they may be defeated, i’d have quit the fight,” Mr Kumar said.
“My interactions with Rahul Gandhi made me feel that he’s a compassionate leader… always asked me about my mother’s well-being, my father’s health. i actually appreciate that about him and these are the qualities that attract me. he’s sincere, there’s a sincerity in his fight. he’s a fearless leader who wants the reality to prevail,” he said.
After nearly twenty years of association with the Left, Kanhaiya Kumar joined the Congress on Tuesday at a time when the party has been battling internal strife starting from its handling of infighting in states like Punjab to comments critical of the leadership by veterans like Kapil Sibal.
Mr Kumar said his shift to the Congress mirrored the transition of Indian politics from Left of Centre to the correct of Centre, which he appreciated the party remained one where senior leaders can have dramatically divergent views.
