Congress ‘uses’ Atal to hit Modi

The Congress on Friday came under attack from the BJP after it heaped praises on former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on its official website and asked how a person whom the tallest leader of BJP “wanted removed” as Chief Minister in the wake of Gujarat riots can be the party’s PM candidate.

Taking a dig at the Congress, the BJP alleged bereft of ideas to counter Narendra Modi’s wave in the country, the ruling party had to heap praises on BJP patriarch Atal Behari Vajpayee to attack its PM candidate after Congress website carried Mr Vajpayee’s photo and his post-Godhra riots “Rajdharma” speech to attack Mr Modi.

The BJP claimed Mr Vajpayee’s entire “Rajdharma” speech should have been uploaded where he had clearly said that “Rajdharma” should be fol-

The Congress heaped praise on Mr Vajpayee to attack Mr Modi, questioning how a person whom the tallest leader of BJP “wanted removed” as CM in 2002 can be the party’s PM candidate.

Madhya Pradesh BJP filed a police complaint against Sonia Gandhi for “resorting to false statements while using Mr Vajpayee’s name.”

lowed and Mr Modi was following it in Gujarat.

The BJP said Congress needed Mr Vajpayee’s “speech to gain brownie points” when it had criticised the Vajpayee-led NDA’s performance and “consciously downplays his exemplary performance of gover- nance.”

Accusing the opposition party of distancing itself from the Vajpayee legacy, the Congress on its official website said, “There is nobody to remind BJP of its Rajdharma.

The Congress cited the example of Mr Vajpayee’s niece quitting the BJP and joining the Congress instead.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh BJP filed a police complaint against Congress president Sonia Gandhi, alleging that her party’s website had false statements with Mr Vajpayee’s name on it.

Later, however, Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed called Mr Vajpayee a “divisive figure.”