BJP president J P Nadda on Friday said that leaders who were jailed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency were now welcoming her grandson Rahul Gandhi.

The BJP president also accused opposition Congress of feeling discomfort when world leaders praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Referring to the opposition meeting in Patna which was organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and attended by his ally RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, Nadda said both were arrested during the Emergency when they were student leaders participating in the movement of Jay Prakash Narayan.
Addressing a public meeting in Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district, Nadda said, “Strange things are happening in politics today. Leaders jailed by former PM Indira Gandhi have now joined hands with her grandson Rahul Gandhi.”

He said Prasad was jailed for 22 months, while Kumar was behind the bars for 20 months during the period.

“I saw Uddhav Thackeray reaching Patna to attend the opposition meeting. His father, ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’ Balasaheb Thackeray was opposed to the Congress all along. Balasaheb had once said he will shut the ‘dukaan’ (referring to his political party Shiv Sena) rather than joining the Congress. Now, his son is closing the ‘dukaan’,” Nadda said.

Nadda said Modi is strongly opposed to dynasty politics and introduced politics of development in the country.

He claimed Congress was unable to digest Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s praise by world leaders.

“Two days ago, Modi visited the US, met leaders and the world believes that his leadership has given India a new direction,” he said.

The BJP president claimed that Modi is highly admired and loved by leaders across the world.

“Some call him (Modi) ‘hero’, some ‘boss’, some ‘reformer-in-chief’ while some call him ‘great patriot’. But, it is unfortunate that this cannot be digested by the Congress, leaders of which call Modi derogatory names,” he said.