Grand alliance a tried, tested and failed idea, says Jaitley
distraught farmers, insecure women and the ignored middle class. “Everyone feels cheated and together they are going to unseat this arrogant government from the Centre as well as states,” he said.
At the event, in reply to a separate question, Jaitley said trusting individuals who came to the BJP only for positions of power had been a mistake that the party made in the past. Describing such politicians as “career nationalists,” the minister said they remained nationalist only as long as the BJP offered them a career.
“The moment we could not do it, they looked elsewhere. I have always maintained within the party and outside that trusting people like this who hang around in the periphery of political parties was probably a mistake that we historically made,” Jaitley said.
He did not name anyone, but it was seen as an oblique reference to former Union ministers such as Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie who have openly criticised the Prime Minister and his government on policy matters and the way India’s ruling party was functioning.
Jaitley also dismissed Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s statement — on Friday at the HT Leadership Summit — that the current regime was not allowing a debate to take place and was imposing its own idea of India on others, and particularly Gandhi’s claim that he had told the finance minister that Kashmir was on fire but he hadn’t been heard.