Left is witch in India growth story: BJP

With an eye clearly on the forthcoming Assembly polls in Kerala, the BJP on Wednesday led an all-out attack on the Left parties, describing them as the proverbial witch in the fairy tale which is India’s growth story.

“When we were children, we saw some witch or some demon in the fairy tales. Likewise, there are witches in every growth story,” BJP Lok Sabha MP Meenakshi Lekhi said while initiating the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President for his address.

Amid sharp protests from CPI(M) members, Ms Lekhi listed out killings allegedly committed by Left cadres in the southern poll-bound state and accused them of committing “atrocities on campus” and “white-washing their brutalities through repressive policies”.

“They have committed Taliban fashion of executions,” she alleged amid vociferous protests by the Left members.

The attack on the Left also came against the backdrop of CPI(M) and its allies targeting the BJP and the Centre over the JNU row.

Ms Lekhi said while the Narendra Modi government was making strides amid a volatile global economic scenario, the Left parties keep raising issues to “derail” development.

The attack on the Left came soon after the Prime Minister entered the House and a BJP MP passed on some papers to Ms Lekhi, apparently reminding her to raise certain issues.

Referring to the Pathankot attack, she said it was one of the worst and the government had handled it very differently. The country has to face state as well as non-state actors when dealing with terrorism, she noted.

Targeting the Congress, she claimed India was known for corruption till the Modi government came to power.

Noting that the “biggest drawback” that led to corruption was the problem in the banking system, she said there have been improvements in that sector since the NDA came to power. Earlier, loans were given to big businessmen and some of whom did not return the money, she said.