Is Congress fighting polls in India or Pakistan? Asks Amit Shah

Bhubaneswar, Jan 6: Hitting out at Congress for raising doubts over the Pakistani boat incident, BJP President Amit Shah today asked the opposition party whether it was fighting elections in India or Pakistan.

On his maiden visit to Odisha, Shah said it should be the 'duty' of the Congress to boost the morale of the defence personnel instead of finding faults with NDA government's determined efforts to curb terror.

"I will like to ask the Congress from where (do) they fight elections? In India or Pakistan ?" Shah asked while addressing BJP's 'Mahasangram' rally here.

Congress has raised doubts over government's version of Pakistani boat incident near Porbandar last week and asked it to "come clean" and explain "which terrorist organisation" was behind the episode that unfolded on the high seas.

The Congress stand triggered a war of words with the BJP which accused the opposition party of touching a "new low" and doing politics over terror.

Shah lauded the Coast Guard and the defence intelligence wing for saving the country recently from another terrorist attack through water route. Shah said the Narendra Modi government at the Centre was determined to foil any attack and and give a befitting reply to cross border firings.

"They (Pakistan) fire bullets from across the border, but the nature of India's response under NDA government has changed. We are giving a befitting reply. Now there is a difference as the BJP-led NDA government has taken it seriously. Earlier, they (Pakistan) used to open fire first and they ended it too. But now, we end the firing," the BJP chief said.

Expressing confidence that the Narendra Modi government would provide good governance in the country for many years, he asked AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi to submit score card of 60 years of Congress rule in the country instead of seeking to know its performance in the last 6 months.

"Rahul Baba is asking us for a report card on what we have done in last six months. I ask you, first give a report card on what your family has done in 60 years when it ruled the country."

Faulty UPA policies had pushed the nation into a situation of inflation, high prices and low growth, Shah claimed, adding that the turn around had started with the coming to power of the politically stable Modi government.

PTI