Onion price rise to be reason of Congress downfall in Delhi, says Sushma Swaraj

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said that the onion price rise issue was a case of "divine justice" as it would lead to the "downfall" of the Congress government which had used an earlier jump in the prices of the vegetable to oust the saffron party from power in Delhi.

"During her campaign against me (Chief Minister) Sheila Dikshit would wear onion garlands. Congress made it a big issue. "The same onion issue is now becoming the cause of the downfall of the Congress government," Swaraj said at the launch in New Delhi of a book authored by the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for Delhi, Harsha Vardhan.

Galloping onion prices are becoming a major issue ahead of the Delhi elections and Swaraj, the former chief minister of Delhi, termed it "divine justice". Rise in the prices of the food item had been one of the major reasons for the downfall in 1998 of the BJP government in the state, then headed by Swaraj.

Meanwhile, Swaraj lashed out at Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi for saying that some of the victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots had been approached by Pakistani intelligence agencies.

Swaraj, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, said that instead of dwelling on violence in Uttar Pradesh, Congress should first speak about the 1984 Delhi riots.

"They (Congress leaders) should also talk about the Delhi riots, which they don't. That tragedy happened in Delhi," she said. Gandhi, in recent speeches, has attacked BJP for allegedly "spreading hatred", for which the saffron party has filed a complaint with Election Commission claiming violation of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of elections.

Swaraj also slammed Congress for their use of the word "communal", saying the party thought that "by using this word, they can win any election".

Referring to the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, Swaraj said she would campaign extensively for the same and hold 100 meetings before the city cast its vote on December 4.

"Harsh Vardhan has asked me to hold 100 meetings before the elections, to which I have agreed. "After the Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh elections, I will devote all the time to Delhi elections," she said.