NEW DELHI: BJP Rajya Sabha member Dinesh Sharma on Thursday slammed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for his claim that 'no development took place in the last 10 years', calling the statement 'baseless'.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar on Wednesday, Kharge launched a scathing attack on PM Narendra Modi, saying whatever building or developmental initiatives that were launched by the Prime Minister have either collapsed or are leaking.
"The BJP has done nothing in the last 10 years... Bridges that were inaugurated have collapsed. Ram Mandir was inaugurated, its roof is leaking now. Not only that, wherever there is a flood, there is no money for flood relief. This is the situation of the country, " the Congress President said.
Responding to Kharge's remarks, Dinesh Sharma told IANS, "I feel Kharge Ji must be shedding tears seeing how much work Modi ji has done. He sometimes makes baseless remarks."
The BJP Rajya Sabha members also accused Kharge of daydreaming about BJP leaders being jailed and he becoming the Prime Minister.
"He daydreams that PM Modi's tenure is over, and he will become the next Prime Minister after BJP leaders are jailed. But when Hitler could not survive, neither did the dictatorial Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, how can his dream become true? In a democratic country, people won’t let such dreams turn true, ” Sharma said.
Responding to Kharge's claim that BJP leaders would have been imprisoned had Congress won 20 more seats, Sharma said the Congress chief should focus on answering for his doings in Karnataka.
"You are just a Congress leader, yet you are a billionaire... Explain that first, " he said.
In addition to countering Kharge’s claims, the BJP MP also highlighted the Modi government’s expansion of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which will now benefit senior citizens aged 70 years and above.
"The Modi government understands its social responsibilities well, unlike the Congress which did not create any schemes for the elderly, leaving them destitute. PM Modi has finalised such programmes... Even in the new pension scheme, the elderly will benefit greatly. In housing schemes, such people have been given priority, especially women, who are also getting safety, " Sharma said.