'Those who question INDIA want to divide Bharat': Congress hits back at BJP, rejects reports of rift in alliance

The Congress clarified on Wednesday that there were no differences in Team INDIA and the rumours floating about Bihar CM Nitish Kumar being miffed were totally baseless. The Congress slammed the BJP and said that however hard PM Modi tries, the opposition alliance will remain united. Reports ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi: A day after 26 opposition parties joined hands under a new name, the Congress on Wednesday rejected reports of a rift in the alliance and said that Team INDIA was united.

“We are all one. There are no differences in Team INDIA. Our slogan is ‘Jeetega Bharat’. Those who question Team INDIA are the ones who want to divide Bharat through words,” Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said when asked if Bihar chief minister and JD-U leader Nitish Kumar was miffed over the new alliance name.

"The BJP has been using foul language against Nitish Babu…Now they are spreading rumours. However hard Modiji tries, there are no cracks in Team INDIA. The BJP can go on with its conspiracy theories,” he said. Surjewala, who is in charge of Karnataka where the new opposition alliance name INDIA was finalized on Tuesday, said the focus of the new alliance "is on the issues affecting the people and the fight of the new grouping is to bring about a change of guard.”

According to the AICC functionary, the NDA meeting on July 18 was a panic reaction to the opposition coming together. “I want to ask, where was this NDA over the past 9 years? First, they used to say one is enough for all others. Suddenly, they panicked and started talking about the NDA. Suddenly they arranged 38 parties, many of whom are not even registered with the Election Commission. Only 12 parties have MPs and only two parties have more than 2 MPs. It is like throwing an open invitation to people to just form a party and join the NDA,” said Surjewala.

The Congress leader slammed Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for questioning the new alliance name INDIA and saying it showed a colonial influence over the opposition parties.

“Himanta Biswa Sarma is trying to be more loyal than the king. He was in Congress for around 30 years then he left. Now he needs to prove his loyalty to the BJP,” said Surjewala. The Congress leader acknowledged that there would be some confrontation among the partners who are rivals in states and the new alliance would have to sort out the differences.

“There would be some political and ideological differences in the new alliance. You will have to work out those differences. This alliance is not for power, we have brought forward a constructive agenda for the country,” said Surjewala, when asked that the West Bengal Congress leaders were reportedly upset over TMC being a part of the new grouping.

The Congress leader urged BSP leader and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati to "introspect” and “review” her policies after she said that her party would fight the coming assembly polls alone and will have no truck with any party.

“She is not a part of Team INDIA but she is a very senior leader of the country. I would not like to react to what she has said but I would urge her to introspect and review her policies,” said Surjewala. The Congress leader further said that a recent letter from an advocate to the poll panel saying that the opposition parties wanted to use the name of the country to win elections should be ignored. “It is just another BJP propaganda. It is best ignored,” he added.