Hyderabad: Maintaining that he has no ideological differences with the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress, Telugu Desam president and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said the nation is under psychological pressure with the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
“It is very bad for the nation that they are misusing institutions like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department.”
Replying a query on BJP MP G.V.L. Narasimha Rao demanding action against TD MPs Y. Sujana Chowdary and C.M. Ramesh for their alleged involvement in money laundering, Mr Naidu said, “Ask GVL to go to Modi and ask what he is doing. Ask Modi to take action against BJP chief Amit Shah's son first.”
He said, “Today there is a democratic compulsion to fight against the BJP to save the Constitution and also save institutions.”
Justifying the move to join hands with the Congress, he said, “Politically, we (TD and Congress) are different. The Telugu Desam, from the beginning has been fighting against the Congress and that is a reality. But ideologically, we do not have any differences. Ideologically, we have differences with the BJP.”
Interacting with reporters in Hyderabad, Mr Naidu said that after 1991, a non-Congress came to power with an absolute majority under the leadership of Narendra Modi. People trusted him and had faith in him. But he has disappointed the nation.
He said that on December 10 all the parties which are likely to be part in Mahagathbandhan will meet in Delhi to discuss the future course of action and it was not one person’s initiative “but all of us are discussing together how to go about it.”
Replying to a query on who would lead the anti-BJP coalition, he said, “There are efficient people and able administrators. They will lead. We will bring a consensus on that. I am not in the race for prime minister. I have said this many times. I am not expecting any position or any incentive out of this initiative.”
Comparing Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi, he said that “attitude-wise, I found Rahul good, while Modi is arrogant. In terms of administration, Modi has disappointed the people, while Rahul is yet to prove his worth as an administrator as he has not had that opportunity. But he looks sincere and honest.”
Replying to a query about the 2019 general election, he said, “It is written on the wall. The NDA will go. The BJP has no chance of winning any of the five states that are undergoing various stages of the election process.”
The BJP, he said, has “ruined the country's economy. Intolerance towards the minorities and Dalits is growing everywhere. There has been witch-hunting of political rivals. Democratic institutions have become crippled.”
The AP Chief Minister maintained that after the economic reforms in the country under P.V. Narasimha Rao, there have been only minority or coalition governments, but all of them performed well in sustaining the economy and taking up the welfare and development agenda.
