BJP doing 'negative politics', says Congress

Congress on Wednesday accused BJP of doing "negative politics" and reminded it of the 2004 manifesto in which it had advocated FDI in retail after the Opposition party announced that the decision will be scrapped if NDA came to power.

"In its 2004 election manifesto, the BJP said it favoured FDI. BJP has problems now when we are bringing it. This is negative politics. When you are in power, you do all those things which you are opposing now," Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi told reporters here.

He was reacting to BJP's remarks at its national executive at Surajkund that it was of the "firm view" that FDI in multi-brand retail is not in the interest of India.

In his speech BJP chief Nitin Gadkari maintained that FDI in multi-brand retail in not good for the farming community and India's retail chain.

Alvi also reacted strongly to Gadkari alleging that besides the CBI, the government is now using and pressurising the judiciary to "blackmail" Opposition parties and have its way.

"Senior BJP leaders had gone to the President alleging that we are denigrating constitutional authorities. But never before in history, any political party levelled such allegations that the government is putting pressures on judiciary. This puts a question mark not only the functioning of judiciary but on the entire system," Alvi said.

Accusing BJP of "failing to play the role of an Opposition party positively", he said that the party's such attitude gave political space to others.

"The CBI is being misused. The CBI and the judiciary are being used to blackmail Opposition parties. Such facts are coming to light," Gadkari had said.

Alvi also condemned the statement of BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad reportedly dubbing the Prime Minister as "anarthshastri (bad economist)".

"To use such words against the Prime Minister of the country is highly unfortunate and highly condemnable," Alvi said.

He also said that NDA itself wanted the nuclear deal with the US but "played havoc" when UPA inked it in 2008.

The Congress spokesperson parried questions when asked as to why the venue of an investors' meet was shifted by the Commerce Ministry from Kolkata to Lucknow, saying the question can best be answered by Commerce Minister Anand Sharma since the decision has been taken by him.