Sonia Gandhi sees election results as BJP's failure, but public has given clear mandate: Nalin Kohli

New Delhi, June 29: The BJP on Saturday reacted sharply to former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's scathing critique of the Modi government over issues ranging from the NEET paper leak controversy to the Emergency debate. Taking exception to senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's opinion, published in a leading daily, where she claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was yet to come to terms with the Lok Sabha poll outcome, senior BJP leader Nalin Kohli hit out at the Congress party while showing it the mirror on election results.

The Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, in her article, wrote that the 1975 Emergency was being deliberately "dredged up" by PM Modi and the BJP, and this was a clear attempt to divert attention from the assault on the Indian Constitution. Nalin Kohli emphasised the "beauty of the Indian Constitution," particularly Article 19, which ensures the Right to Freedom of Speech to every citizen of the country, therefore, he said, "Sonia Gandhi is free to express her view point."

"Sonia Gandhi has exercised this right freely, and no one has stopped her from expressing her views," Nalin Kohli stated, asserting that even senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claims of an undeclared Emergency are "entirely false." He said that the only time Emergency was imposed was in 1975 by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Nalin Kohli pointed out that the electorate's consistent rejection of the Congress over three consecutive elections 2014, 2019, and 2024 was significant. He said, "In 2024 alone, PM Modi received more seats than the Congress did in all three elections combined."

According to the BJP leader, this indicates strong public support for PM Modi's leadership and the continuation of his work since 2014. Highlighting two points of view on the situation, he said, "Sonia Gandhi might perceive the situation as a failure of the BJP and a potential win for the Congress, while the public's clear mandate in favour of the BJP demonstrates continued confidence in PM Modi's leadership, marking it as a win for the BJP and a failure for Congress."