NEW DELHI:
BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi’s projection of US President Barack Obama’s visit here during her election campaign today drew sharp reaction from Congress and Aam Aadmi Party while Delhi BJP Chief Satish Upadhyay said the trip should not be linked with the polls.
Campaigning in her Krishna Nagar constituency, Bedi had lauded Centre’s diplomatic efforts to bolster India’s image internationally and talked about Obama’s three-day visit here.
“Today, Obama has come and all of India is flying. Modi has done so much. Obama would not just have come like that,” said Bedi at an election meeting adding, “India now looks like the number one country in the world.”
When asked about Bedi’s comments, Upadhyay said the visit by the US President should not be linked to polls.
“I don’t think Obama’s India visit has got anything to do with the elections and it should not be linked to the elections,” Upadhyay said.
Severely critical of Bedi’s comments, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said BJP was trying to rev up its dwindling support by highlighting Obama’s visit during the election campaign.
“This reflects the restlessness and helplessness of BJP. As the party is not being able to garner support, it is using the Obama card.
“I feel that the BJP should organise an election rally at the Ramlila Maidan and they should ask Mr Obama to talk there,” the AAP leader said.
Slamming Bedi for trying to get mileage from Obama’s visit, DPCC chief spokesperson Mukesh Sharma said BJP was adopting “every possible tactic” to gain political mileage.
“Congress strongly criticises Bedi’s remarks. BJP is leaving no stone unturned to gain political mileage. Bedi’s statement shows that BJP is afraid of its possible defeat in the elections,” Sharma said.
Senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said, “The casualness in her remarks reflects her political immaturity and instrumental attitude.”
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said there was nothing wrong in her comments and that Obama’s visit is something which all Indians should be proud of.
“Our CM candidate Kiran Bedi is not using Obama as a prop. She is rightly taking the name of Mr Obama in saying that look, how we have created history at the Centre,” Patra said.
He added that even Kejriwal should be “taking pride” on the issue. (PTI)
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