Panaji, Apr 6 (IANS): In a scathing attack on the RSS and BJP, former All India Congress Committee Secretary Girish Chodankar has said that the "former have always worked against the Bahujan Samaj and used them as vote bank".
Chodankar on Wednesday addressed a press conference in north Goa and criticised the BJP for misleading people and particularly the OBC community over Rahul Gandhi's 'Modi surname' defamation case.
"Rahul Gandhi has always encouraged OBCs, SCs and STs. It was Congress who gave reservation to OBCs," he said.
Citing example of how the BJP and RSS are trying to destroy the political career of Bahujan Samaj leaders, Chodankar added that the BJP government failed to invite Union Minister Shripad Naik for the inauguration of projects funded by his Ministry.
"He (Chodankar) was then forced to raise this issue before the media," he said, adding the BJP has failed to work in the interest of OBCs.
The Congress leader said that the BJP use the "caste and religion card" when they are frustrated and when they have no answers.
"BJP leaders are trying to mislead people. BJP has always used OBCs as vote bank. They have always hated OBCs, SCs and STs. I challenge them to show what development work they have done for OBCs in last nine years," Chodankar added.
He said that Rahul Gandhi had asked few questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the latter failed to answer them.
"Asset of nation belongs to people. It is not the private property of Modi or BJP. It is the right of people to question about the asset of nation. Rahul Gandhi had right to ask this as he was a Member of Parliament," he added.
Chodankar said that Congress never disqualified any MP for asking questions in the Parliament.
"Opposition used to level allegations on the Congress government and also on Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. But we (Congress) never played vendetta politics as we wanted to maintain democracy," he added.
"During his speech, Rahul Gandhi had said that there are Rs 20,000 crore in shell companies linked to Adani and had asked whose money was it? He had questioned the relationship of Modi with Adani. But the ruling party remained silent over these questions," he said.
"The sentence could have been less than two years. But the quantum of sentence was two years only because it paved the way for the BJP government to disqualify him," he said, while speaking about the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi.
"By these events it is evident that BJP and RSS are afraid of Rahul Gandhi. It is proved that Rahul Gandhi is a powerful leader and raises questions asked by the people without any fear," Chodankar added.