Congress Faced with Fresh Demands for Clean Slate, Says BJP's Paswan

Guru Prakash Paswan, the national spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party, told reporters in Patna on November 8 that the Congress party must now present a clean slate to the Indian electorate. He enumerated past controversies—including the Oil‑for‑Food corruption case, the Bofors kick‑back allegations, the Agusta‑Westland helicopter procurement, and the Bhopal gas catastrophe—asserting each is linked to Congress leadership.

Paswan seized on the fact that the Progressive International’s delegation met with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, demanding a clear public account of the political relationship behind that encounter. He also highlighted the party’s silence over Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari’s controversial remarks and criticized Akhilesh Yadav’s recent visits to the disputed Ram temple site as “political theatrics.”

Addressing state politics, Paswan accused the Trinamool Congress of creating law‑and‑order problems in West Bengal, noting a Calcutta High Court observation that the state’s legal framework is under strain. He recalled former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s 2008 comment that left‑wing extremism posed the greatest threat to India, suggesting that Congress continues to nurture that instability.

The BJP spokesperson finished by applauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal dedication, his practice of celebrating Diwali with the nation’s armed forces, and the recent successes in curbing Naxal insurgency, positioning these as the antithesis of the alleged Congress‑linked scandals.