NEW DELHI: BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Wednesday targeted the Congress party for naming its new headquarters “Indira Bhawan,” arguing that decision reflects party’s preference for the Gandhi family over other notable leaders.
Poonawalla questioned why the Congress did not name the building after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, referring to a poster at the venue labelled “Sardar Manmohan Singh Bhawan,” he said. “It would have been more appropriate to name the headquarters after Dr Manmohan Singh, as even some Congress leaders have suggested through their posters,” BJP spokesperson said.
He accused the grand old party of neglecting and disrespecting Singh during his tenure as Prime Minister. “They never truly respected Dr Manmohan Singh. They created the NAC (National Advisory Council) above him, tore up his ordinance, and repeatedly humiliated him. Even today, they have not conferred upon him the Bharat Ratna,” Poonawalla alleged.
The BJP spokesperson also accused the Congress of sidelining the Sikh community. “They have insulted the Sikh community. They reward individuals linked to the 1984 riots, like Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, but fail to honour Dr Manmohan Singh with a name or recognition,” he added.
The Congress’s new office, located at 9A Kotla Road, was inaugurated in the presence of several prominent leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the Congress parliamentary party (CPP), party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
During the inaugural event, Rahul Gandhi directed his attack at the ruling party and its ideological roots. Speaking on the occasion, he said, “The people in power today do not salute the tricolour, do not believe in the national flag, and do not uphold the Constitution. Their vision of India is entirely different from ours.”