Elections or no elections, space prog continues: Arun Jaitley
New Delhi, Mar 27 (UNI) The BJP on Wednesday strongly countered the charge from the Opposition parties including Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M) that announcement on India's successful space mission by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a violation of the model code of conduct.
"Such programmes continue 365 days a year… elections or no elections," senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley strongly asserted at a press conference after the issue was raised by West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.
Reacting to the Prime Minister's speech to the nation, Congress president Rahul Gandhi also took a pot shot at him and tweeted, "I would also like to wish the PM a very happy World Theatre Day."
Banerjee had earlier tweeted, "It seems a desperate oxygen to save the imminent sinking of the BJP boat. We are lodging a complaint with the Election Commission."
Yechury wrote a letter to the poll panel raising similar objections.
Jaitley maintained, "Since it is deterrent, the deterrent has to be known to all concerned and the deterrent of this kind there is no better person than the Prime Minister who has to inform the world."
Taking a jibe at the Trinamool Congress chief, he said the nuclear programme and space-related works go on throughout the year and "cannot be put to a halt because it does not suit to West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or any other party".
Answering questions, he said the opposition parties are only belittling themselves by raising these objections and remarked, "Lower they go, stronger we emerge and as far as the whole issue of EC is concerned, I wish to say something India’s nuke programme is a continuing programme. It is not a new programme."
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