In his ninth consecutive address from the ramparts of Red Fort on the country’s 76th Independence Day, PM Modi took aim at the twin evils of nepotism and corruption and sought the people’s cooperation to fight them.

The prime minister said that the country needs to shift its mentality from “Bhai-Bhatijawad” and “Parivaarwad” (dynasty and nepotism) and give an opportunity to the citizens who deserve it.

Congress leader Kumari Selja took a dig at PM Modi over his ‘nepotism’ remark, saying that he was doing politics from the rampart of Red Fort instead of focusing on issues concerning common people.

“It seems the Prime Minister has forgotten about development and doing politics through his Independence Day speech,” Selja told news agency AN.

She further said, “Unemployment is hitting people hard and the government is tight-lipped about it instead of speaking about nepotism. That speaks volumes that the Prime Minister is isolated from ground issues.”

In her Independence Day statement, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi also criticised the “self-obsessed” government, saying it is hell-bent on “trivialising” the sacrifices of freedom fighters and the party will strongly oppose such attempts made for political gains.

“Friends, we have achieved a great deal in the last 75 years, but today’s self-obsessed government is bent on trivialising the great sacrifices of our freedom fighters and the glorious achievements of the country, which can never be accepted,” Gandhi said in her message on India’s 76th Independence Day.

This comes a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released a video narrating its version of events that led to India’s partition in 1947 in which it tangentially accused the top Congress leadership at the time and showed pictures of Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.