Facing criticism over her alleged statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would end up "in jail" if the Bharatiya Janata Party lost power, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Misa Bharti on Friday clarified that her remarks were taken out of context.
The eldest daughter of RJD president Lalu Prasad asserted that her comments were focussed on the Supreme Court's ruling on electoral bonds and the need for a thorough investigation into the matter if INDIA bloc, of which RJD is a part, assumed power.
Bharti accused the media of distorting her statement, attributing it to the BJP's agenda.
"I never said anything about the PM. The media played a distorted clip instead of telecasting my full comment. It is BJP's agenda", alleged Bharti.
She highlighted the lack of discussion by the BJP on crucial issues like unemployment, inflation, and problems faced by farmers.
Talking to reporters, Bharti said, "The BJP does not have any issue. Does the PM talk about unemployment, inflation, farmers and other promises made by party leaders earlier."
Bharti is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Patliputra constituency as an INDIA bloc nominee.
Responding to the backlash from BJP leaders, including Ravi Shankar Prasad, who criticised her alleged statement that had gone viral on Thursday, Bharti reiterated that she never directly mentioned the PM.
"Such statements are highly condemnable. The post of Prime Minister is highly respected. Nothing is hidden from the country. Her (Bharti's) father has been convicted in the fodder scam. Her family is neck-deep in corruption. She should stop daydreaming," Prasad, a former Union minister, had told reporters on Thursday.
Bihar deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha called for action from the Election Commission against Bharti, labeling her remarks as threats and predicting a defeat for corrupt RJD leaders in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
"The Election Commission must take cognisance of the statement given by Misa Bharti against the PM and also take appropriate action against her. People will give them a befitting reply in the Lok Sabha polls. Corrupt RJD leaders, who are responsible for 'goondaraj' in Bihar, will face a humiliating defeat in the polls," Sinha said.
Nadda slams Misa, says half of INDIA leaders either in jail or on bail
Meanwhile, BJP chief JP Nadda on Friday hit out at Misa Bharti for her jail remark against Modi, and claimed that half of the INDIA bloc leaders were either in jail or out on bail in corruption cases.
He also said the Opposition alliance has become frantic, sensing its defeat in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
Nadda, while addressing an election meeting in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh, said, "Half of the INDI alliance leaders are either in jail or out on bail in corruption cases. Do you want to hand over the government to such people? INDI alliance has become frantic as its leaders have sensed that their defeat is imminent. They are fighting a lost battle and hurling abuses at Modiji in desperation."
"Yesterday, Misa Bharti said that if their government comes to power, Modiji will be sent to jail. Modiji served as Gujarat chief minister for 12 years and as prime minister for 10 years without a blemish. He served the country considering it as a family. But Misa Bharti, the daughter of Lalu Yadav, is using such type of language," he said.
"Lalu Yadav is out on bail. Is his wife Rabri on bail? Is their family not facing corruption charges - land-for-job scam, fodder scam - such type of people are speaking this language. Do you all accept such a type of language?" he asked the audience.
He said people were standing firmly behind PM Modi.
"This INDI alliance came into existence for two reasons -- Modi says eradicate corruption, but they (opposition leaders) say save the corrupt. All these corrupt people have come together...Birds of the same feathers flock together. Secondly, these parties have come together to save their families," he said.
Attacking the opposition, Nadda alleged there was a laptop scam under Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, Lalu Yadav was indicted in the fodder scam, while there was a teacher recruitment scam carried out by ministers of the Mamta Banerjee government in West Bengal.
Former Rajasthan CM indulged in the recruitment scam and KCR (K Chandrasekhar Rao) and KTR (K T Rama Rao) (of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi) carried out a liquor scam, Nadda further alleged.
"Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is in jail for the liquor scam, the JMM was involved in a land scam. Isn't Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi out on bail? Isn't P Chidambaram and his son Karthi out on bail? Half of these (opposition) leaders are in jail. Would you hand over governance to such people," Nadda asked the crowd.
Nadda said most of the parties arrayed against the BJP are family entities and cited examples of the Abdullahs of National Conference, Chautalas (Indian National Lok Dal), Badals (Shiromani Akali Dal), Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Lalu Yadav (RJD), Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule of Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar, MK Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam as well as Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray of the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray.
The only party that is run democratically is the Bharatiya Janata Party, Nadda claimed.
Nadda alleged that during the Congress-led UPA rule, several scams like coal scam, submarine scam, AgustaWestland chopper scam, sugar scam, rice scam, Commonwealth Games scam, 2G and 3G scams took place.
"Scams rattled the universe -- the sky, the land and the underground," Nadda said.
