BJP Hits Back at Delhi Rally; Lekhi Raps Opposition Over Parliament

New Delhi, November 1: Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party launched a coordinated attack on the INDIA bloc's mega rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the opposition rally had failed to make an impact and suggested that Rahul Gandhi would now try his luck at Jantar Mantar.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad President Alok Kumar described the rally as one driven by political aims. Former Union Minister of State Meenakshi Lekhi also made remarks that targeted the opposition's conduct.

In a separate statement, Maurya spoke about a programme for differently-abled children organised by the Uttar Pradesh government in collaboration with Sanskrit culture centres. He said he wholeheartedly appreciated the event and reaffirmed that the BJP's double-engine government would continue to work for the betterment of persons with disabilities.

Maurya said he had asked those present to hand over any unresolved issues in writing. He said he would remain at the Circuit House that night and that the concerns would be addressed.

Alok Kumar said that several large rallies were under way in Delhi on the same day, among them the Ramlila Maidan rally and another procession taken out by a group of people. He said both events were politically motivated. He also observed that politics had developed a trend where leaders speak highly of themselves, promote their achievements, and criticise rivals by highlighting their flaws.

Lekhi said senior leaders should show restraint. She noted that they have every right to represent their parties and engage with younger voters, but argued that they cannot speak on behalf of the young generation once they have moved beyond it. She said she called herself a middle-aged woman because her children are now young.

Lekhi described the situation as absurd, stating that the same people who are obstructing proceedings were elected by the public to represent them in Parliament. She alleged that they disrupt the House whenever a session is in progress.

The former minister added that individuals who are not MPs but hope to enter Parliament one day should have organised a model parliament rather than a mock parliament. This, she said, would have allowed prospective lawmakers to learn how to run the House and how to conduct themselves within it. She stressed that necessary action was not being taken on either side.