BJP chief Amit Shah said today his party believed in "politics of performance" while the Congress banked on dynasty and appeasement, expressing confidence of a "historic" win in the upcoming Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls.
In his inaugural address at the BJP national executive, he also targeted the TMC-ruled West Bengal and the Left-ruled Kerala governments, saying democracy was being "throttled" in the two states as he highlighted cases of violence against his party's workers there.
Shah also lauded the government's handling of economy, saying the average growth rate had been more than seven per cent in the last years while it was 4.7 per cent in 2013-14 under the UPA.
He described demonetisation, which has been blamed for the current economic slowdown by the opposition, as a "severe attack" on black money as he hit back at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for his attack on the government.
"Rahul Gandhi goes abroad and asks what are the achievements of the Modi government? Rahul ji, you will tire of counting its achievements. The biggest success is that we have given an honest and scam-free government against that of the UPA which was involved in scams of Rs 12 lakh crore," he said.
"If some people believe that they can use violence to stop the BJP's growth, then they are mistaken. The more they throw the mud of violence at the BJP, the more quickly the lotus (BJP's symbol) will bloom," he said, according to a party statement.
Referring to violence against his party's workers in Kerala, he announced a 15-day 'pad yatra' (foot march) in the state from October 3.
He also announced a run for unity by BJP workers on October 31, the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.
The BJP chief asked party leaders to work relentlessly to achieve six goals- getting India rid of litter, corruption, poverty, corruption, casteism, communalism and terrorism- to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a new India by 2022.
Modi has shown how a transparent, decisive, sensitive and people-oriented government works, he said, claiming it has done more in three years of its rule than the UPA did in its 10 years.
Taking a jibe at the Congress following Rahul Gandhi's defence of dynasty, Shah said dynasticism has become Congress' nature but it can never be India's nature.
Under Modi's leadership, the BJP had ended politics of dynasty, casteism and appeasement, and had started politics of performance, he said, according to the statement.
Shah said President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Modi reached their position due to their work, despite their humble origins.
Attacking the Congress over its opposition in Parliament to a bill which sought to accord constitutional status to the OBC commission, he said the opposition party had shown that it does not respect the backward castes but the BJP is determined to pass the legislation.
In a reference to the practice of triple talaq, abolished by the Supreme Court in a recent verdict, Shah hailed the government's stand which, he said, helped Muslim women get justice.
Highlighting the government's economic successes, Shah said interest rate has been brought down to 6 per cent against 12 per cent in the UPA, inflation is 4.5 per cent against 9.3 per cent in the UPA and forex reserve had crossed USD 400 for the
The Rs 60,000 crore per year the government would save through the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme would be used for welfare schemes for the poor, he said.
Praising the government over its handling of Naxalism and terrorism, Shah said more terrorists were killed in its three years of rule than any other spell of three years.
The BJP president also discussed the recent stand-off with China in Dokalam near Sikkim and said India displayed its firmness and decisiveness while using diplomacy to peacefully end the crisis.
The party chief appreciated External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's speech at the United Nations said she had exposed Pakistan.
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