'Why hate India?' BJP hits back at Kapil Sibal over 'ashamed to live in India' remark

NEW DELHI: BJP on Monday launched a sharp attack on Congress Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal over his remarks criticising the ruling party, accusing him of "hating India" and remaining silent on incidents such as the 2021 post-poll violence in West Bengal.The saffron party's response came a day after Sibal said he was ashamed to be living in a country where the party in power would use "any means" to destroy the foundations of democracy, while referring to the alleged attack on Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee in West Bengal.In a video statement, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla questioned Sibal's remarks, saying the senior advocate had built a successful legal career in India but was now expressing shame about living in the country."Kapil Sibal says that he is ashamed to live in India. The question is, when post-poll violence happened in 2021 and more than 300 BJP workers and Congress workers were allegedly killed, Kapil Sibal never opened his mouth. The same Kapil Sibal kept quiet even during cases such as RG Kar and Sandeshkhali," Poonawalla said.He said political opposition to the BJP was acceptable, but questioned what he described as a tendency among some opposition leaders to attack the country because of their differences with the ruling party."Opposing the BJP is one thing, but why oppose India? You can have political differences, but why hate India?" he asked.Poonawalla also referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and alleged that some opposition leaders regularly questioned India's democratic institutions, judiciary and armed forces."Today, just because you have a problem with the BJP, you end up hating India. Rahul Gandhi says that he will fight the Indian state. He says democracy is over and that the US and the UK need to intervene. Kapil Sibal says he is ashamed to live in India," he said.Another BJP spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari, described Sibal's remarks as "an insult of crores of Indian voters; voters of Bengal and Indian democracy", as reported by news agency PTI.The controversy stems from an incident on Saturday when TMC national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee was attacked during a visit to Sonarpur in West Bengal to meet families affected by post-poll violence.Stones, shoes and eggs were hurled at Banerjee by unidentified people, while some allegedly attempted to assault him physically.Viral visuals of the incident showed Banerjee being escorted away wearing a police-issued helmet, with his shirt torn during the melee.Speaking on Sunday, Sibal termed the incident a "pre-meditated attack" and questioned the withdrawal of Banerjee's security cover. He also criticised the alleged absence of police intervention and asked whether authorities had arrested those responsible."It is shameful, absolutely shameful. I am ashamed that I am living in a country where this is what happens, where the political party in power would use any means to destroy whatever foundations of democracy our great leaders laid down when this republic came into being," Sibal had said, according to PTI.Banerjee, who escaped without serious injury, alleged that BJP workers were behind the attack and claimed there was inadequate police presence at the scene.The BJP has denied involvement, with state party president Samik Bhattacharya saying such incidents were undesirable and insisting that the party had no role in the violence.Commenting on the incident, Poonawalla said nobody in the BJP had justified the heckling faced by Banerjee. However, he also claimed that some of those arrested in connection with the episode appeared to have links with the Trinamool Congress."Whatever it may be, nobody has justified it," he said, while suggesting that some opposition leaders were treating the episode as an internal political feud rather than condemning the violence.