Gujarat effect: NDA allies flex muscles, attack BJP

Rahul Gandhi and Hardik Patel had been ridiculed as ‘ monkeys’ but these ‘ monkeys’ have slapped the ‘ lion’ and sounded the danger alarm — Saamana, Sena mouthpiece

After the BJP’s underwhelming win in Gujarat, NDA allies have started flexing their muscles. The latest indication of this came when Naresh Gujral, Shiromani Akali Dal’s MP in Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday summed up the outcome of the justconcluded Assembly polls by calling it the end of the age of “arrogance”.

Another NDA ally, Shiv Sena, has already been attacking the BJP over the Gujarat results and questioning the development model in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state.

Earlier, Mr Gujral, speaking to a news channel about the impact of Gujarat polls, said, “The age of arrogance is over.”

Referring to the Congress giving the ruling BJP a run for its money in Gujarat, Mr Gujral said that the “concept of TINA ( there is no alternative) factor is over”.

Shiv Sena also showed renewed aggression against the BJP. An editorial in party mouthpiece, Saamana, said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Patidar leader Hardik Patel had been ridiculed as “monkeys” but “these monkeys” have slapped the “lion”.

The Sena said that it was pathetic that the BJP had to resort to emotional issues and use

Hindu- Muslim divide to garner votes in Gujarat. “None of the BJP leaders was willing to speak about vikas attained in 22 years,” said the editorial.

The Sena claimed that the BJP “barely managed to pass” the electoral exam but was pretending as if it had passed with distinction.

“The dream of a ‘ Congress- Mukt Bharat’ remains unfulfilled,” the Shiv Sena said, adding that the Gujarat outcome was a “warning bell” to those who believe in autocratic rule.

Earlier, during zero hour in Rajya Sabha, Mr Gujral flayed the Central government for attempts to rename Delhi- based Dayal Singh College as “Vande Mataram College”.

Mr Gujral said “unfortunately” the managing committee of the college recently decided to rename the evening wing of the institution as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya.

“To change the name of a minority institution is a direct assault on the feelings of Sikhs... I feel this is something to be condemned,” the Akali MP said.

However, HRD minister Prakash Javadekar distanced the government from the renaming controversy.

“It is not a government’s decision and the government does not like it. That’s why we have asked that the decision be withheld,” the minister said, adding that the Delhi Univesity, to which the college is affiliated, has also been informed.

The SAD leader said that philanthropist Dayal Singh Majithia had given his entire savings and life to the cause of education and set up several colleges and schools and that there is a Dayal Singh College in Lahore also.