BJP 'transitory', Congress will return to power: AK Antony

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Kerala CM A K Antony said that the NDA-led Central government is "transitory" that came to power "due to the showmanship and marketing technique of (Prime Minister) Modi", while asserting that Congress would form the government.

"What has risen at the North during the last ( Lok Sabha) polls is not a Sun, but a comet," he said about the emergence of BJP and Narendra Modi as Prime Minister.

Expressing confidence that Congress would return to power under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the former Defence Minister said at a press meet here, "The present BJP government at the Centre is only transitory that came due to the showmanship and marketing technique of Modi."

Lambasting the "communal" policies of BJP-led NDA government, Antony said, "Only statements are coming from the government..nothing concrete is happening at the ground level," and condemned the "growing intolerance and communal poison," in the country.

"The nation is heading towards a great danger as its basic structures of diversity and secularism is facing unprecedented threat under BJP regime which is controlled by RSS," he said while referring to the recent Dadri lynching as well as killing of two Dalit children in Haryana.

"Development process in the nation has come to standstill under the NDA government," he said and took a dig at the 'Make in India' programme, saying "nothing has happened in defence sector under the new initiative."

Antony flayed the "silence" of Modi and BJP on Hindu Mahasabha's plan to observe birthday of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as 'Balidaan Diwas.'

Hitting out at CPI-M-led LDF opposition in Kerala, he claimed Congress alone can fight the "communal agenda" of BJP-RSS.

"How can the CPI-M and LDF which has no address and support of people in north India check the surge of BJP in the country?," Antony asked.

"CPI-M has not changed in years. They still stick to their old slogans and ideologies. CPI-M has failed to read the writing on the wall," he added.