Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “badlav, not badla” remark following the BJP’s victory in West Bengal, alleging that the Prime Minister’s political record reflects “revenge, not change”.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Sibal said the BJP had repeatedly pursued politics of “badla” while claiming to stand for “badlav”.
‘You Brought Badlav Through Badla’
Taking aim at the Prime Minister, Sibal said, “You want the change that no opposition government remains in any state. This is ‘badla’, not ‘badlav’.”
He alleged that the BJP had brought down elected governments and formed its own administrations through political manoeuvring.
“On the basis of ‘badla’, you brought ‘badlav’ of bringing down elected governments. You brought down majority governments and formed your own governments,” Sibal said.
Questions BJP’s Use Of Central Agencies
Sibal also accused the BJP of weaponising central agencies against opposition leaders.
“The way you used ED against Chief Ministers, was that politics of change?” he asked.
Claiming the Prime Minister had followed a policy of revenge “at every stage”, Sibal said the “dream of change” promised by the BJP had not materialised.
Raises Concerns Over Democracy, Institutions
Referring to the West Bengal election, Sibal said electoral victory alone did not settle concerns over the democratic process.
“Elections come and go, winning and losing is a part of it. But the Constitution should not be defeated, and democracy should not be defeated,” he said.
“The one who wins is the winner, but how they win and what kind of conspiracies they deploy raises questions in itself.”
Election Commission Also In Crosshairs
Sibal launched a broader attack on institutions, accusing the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP.
“We can’t allow institutions to be captured in this fashion. There is no institution which is fully independent,” he said.
Punjab, Maharashtra Among Examples Cited
Citing Punjab as an example, Sibal claimed the BJP had expanded its political influence disproportionately despite limited legislative strength.
“The BJP had two MLAs but through manipulation now has seven Rajya Sabha MPs. This is the ‘badlav’ PM is talking about,” he said.
He also cited Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh while alleging that the BJP does not allow opposition governments to remain in power.
Calls For Opposition Introspection
Sibal said the opposition must reflect and strategise collectively in response.
“It is time for opposition to do some introspection and decide how to fight this battle for the unity and integrity of India,” he said.
What PM Modi Had Said
Following the BJP’s historic win in West Bengal, Prime Minister Modi had urged political parties to embrace “change, not revenge”.
“Aaj jab BJP jeeti hai, toh badla nahi, badlav ki baat honi chahiye; bhay nahi, bhavishya ki baat honi chahiye,” Modi had said, appealing for an end to political violence in the state.
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