The BJP on Friday counted 15 standing ovations and over 100 rounds of applause during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the US Congress as the ruling party hailed its leader and sought to belittle the Opposition’s meeting in Patna by terming it a mere photo opportunity and stressing that Modi was invincible.

Although the BJP made light of the 17 Opposition parties coming together in Patna to work out a joint strategy for next year’s Lok Sabha polls, top leaders of the ruling party — home minister Amit Shah to BJP chief J.P. Nadda — were deployed to comment on the meeting.

“Today a photo session is underway in Patna. They (the Opposition) want to challenge the NDA, the BJP and PM Modi. I want to tell them that join as many hands as you want, your unity is never going to happen,” Shah told a rally in Jammu. “I want to tell them that Narendra Modi will again form the government in 2024 with over 300 seats,” he added.

Nadda targeted the Opposition while addressing a rally in Odisha as part of the BJP’s outreach drive on the completion of nine years of the Modi government, invoking the Emergency days.

“The Opposition parties’ meeting in Patna today only shows their desperation to defeat the BJP. The leaders who once fought the Congress tooth and nail are now welcoming the party to their doorsteps in an attempt to gain power,” Nadda said.

In Delhi, women and child development ministerSmriti Irani was deputed at the BJP headquarters in the morning to hail Modi for his “unprecedented” visit to the US. Later, she too referred to the Patna meeting, picking particularly on the Congress to deride the Grand OldParty.

“Fifteen standing ovations, over 100 (rounds of) applause for the Prime Minister’s speech in the US Congress,” Smriti said.

“This was not only the hallmark of the PM’s visit to the US, but what is unprecedented is the India-US partnership in many critical areas whichwill help to better the future of the Indian populace,” she added.

Responding to questions on the Opposition’s meeting, Smriti said the Congress was seeking the support of other Opposition parties because it was incapable of defeating Modi alone. “I want to particularly express gratitude to the Congress for openly announcing that it is incapable of defeating Modi alone. It needs support,” she said.

“It is ironic that some leaders who witnessed the murder of democracy during the Emergency have assembled under the Congress umbrella,” Smriti added.

After the Opposition’s meeting concluded, Smriti was fielded again and this time she tried to recall the past to highlight the differences between the parties joining hands. She sought to term the Opposition parties as a “pack of wolves” preying on the “future of India”.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is said that wolves hunt in packs. The political pack met in Patna. Their prey is thefuture of India,” she said. She recalled the past rivalry between the Trinamul Congress and the CPM to stress the “irony” of the two coming together.

“It is ironic that Trinamul Congress party members today witnessed bonhomie between Mamata Banerjee and that communist party the leadership of which wasparticularly known for dragging her by her hair,” Smriti said.

She claimed that the hands of the Trinamul members were sullied by the blood of Congress workers andwent on to highlight the acrimony between the parties, stressing that it was a “selfish alliance”.