'Selfish' Opposition alliance like pack of wolves 'preying' on India's future: BJP

Irani's comments followed the meeting of Opposition parties, wherein they resolved to fight the 2024 polls unitedly.

As 17 opposition parties came together on Friday to stitch a front against the BJP, the ruling party called it a "multi-headed selfish alliance" and compared it with wolves hunting in packs.

Addressing a press conference here soon after the opposition unity meeting in Patna, BJP leader and Union minister Smriti Irani said this coming together of the parties was not targeted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi but the country's coffers.

"It is said that wolves hunt in packs! A political pack met in Patna. Their 'prey' is the future of India," she said.

She said this alliance of selfishness was being forged with India as its target.

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"Whenever these political parties came together, they brought corruption, nepotism and brought with them the allegation of constricting the economic progress of the nation," Irani added.

She said the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) blackmailing at the beginning itself shows the future of the "unholy alliance".

"It is ironic that Trinamool Congress Party members today witnessed bonhomie between Mamata Bandyopadhyay and that Communist Party, the leadership of which was particularly known for dragging Mamata by her hair, especially when she tried to speak for the people of Bengal," she said referring to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

She further said Trinamool workers never in their life would have thought that "Mamata Bandyopadhyay would go under the protection of the same Communist Party whose Communist Party leaders humiliated Mamata Bandyopadhyay on the road by pulling her hair".

Irani further said the Congress workers of West Bengal similarly would have never imagined that "Mamata Bandyopadhyay, whose hands are stained with the blood of Congress workers, will one day appear on Rahul ji's head".

"Even the people of Tamil Nadu would never have imagined that the DMK party, which was accused by the top leadership of the Congress in the 1990s of helping in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, one day would have sweeter relations with the Gandhi family," she said.

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"At what cost will the Gandhi family do its politics?" she asked.

Referring to TMC chief touching RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's feet, Irani said, "While the nation was recently witness to Mamata Bandyopadhyay paying revere to Lalu ji, I am sure neither the nation nor Lalu ji has forgotten how Mamata presented a white paper describing in detail incapacities of Lalu ji as a minister at the Centre."

Mamata was "extremely prophetic" when she said Rahul Gandhi is leader of opposition but then it becomes "certain" that Narendra Modi will yet again be elected as the prime minister, she added.

Irani's comments followed the meeting of Opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool, DMK, JD(U), SP and Left, in Patna where they resolved to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections unitedly to defeat the BJP and work with flexibility by setting aside their differences.