BJP only party that adheres to ideology, rest idealess: Nadda at Himachal rally

Nurpur: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the only party that adhered to ideology, the rest of the parties are idealess, said party president J.P. Nadda in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district on Monday.

He said the BJP-led Narendra Modi government at the Centre has taken care of the poor, women, backward and underprivileged.

Nadda, who belongs to the hill state, was addressing a public rally in Kangra's Jassur's town, near here, to commemorate nine years of the Modi government. This was the party's first major rally in the state after losing to the Congress in the December assembly polls.

Nadda said in 2014 PM Modi conceived the idea the BJP should have its own offices. Then national president Amit Shah did the planning and today state and district-level party offices are coming up across the country.

Nadda stated that the BJP is the biggest party in the world and that is why it has decided to build 887 offices, of which more than 500 offices have been set up, including in Nurpur and Palampur. "In Himachal Pradesh too, eight offices have been completed."

Playing the religious and emotional card, Nadda said the BJP had passed a resolution to build a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya at a meeting in Palampur in Kangra and "it is the strong will of Prime Minister Modi that he laid its foundation stone and very soon it will be dedicated to the nation".

Taking a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the BJP chief said the crown prince of the Congress went to Britain and talked about saving democracy. "This is an act to hurt the dignity of the country."

Nadda said before 2014, there were only scams in the corruption-ridden government. "Under the leadership of Modi-ji, a government with schemes was formed in the country after coming out of scams."

"Today the Modi government is working as a strong government, a decisive government."

He said under the leadership of Modi, the government has made relentless efforts to reform various sectors of the Indian economy in the past nine years.

"Our policies have focused on implementing measures like the GST and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and have fostered innovation to make the New India future-ready. Today, India is the 5th largest economy in the world, with a young population at its disposal that is ready to lead us on the path of an Atmanirbhar Bharat."

Nadda's rally, the first in a series of two, also marked the beginning of the party's campaign in the state for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections likely to be slated in May.

The BJP holds three -- Kangra, Hamirpur and Shimla -- out of the four Lok Sabha seats in the state. The Mandi seat, where Nadda will address his second rally, is with the state ruling Congress.

Nadda also inaugurated the party office at Nurpur where Union Minister Anurag Thakur and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur were present, among other state leaders.

Speaking on the occasion, Thakur said Bengal is burning. "And along with it, the Bengali identity, the identity of Bengal, the pride of Bengal, the name of Bengal is being burnt."

"Violence, appeasement, anarchy and corruption is the new formula under the helm of Mamta," he added.