The BJP on Sunday slammed the opposition INDIA bloc's rally at Ramlila Ground here, saying it was not a "save democracy" meeting as projected but a "save family" and "hide corruption" rally.

The ruling party also hit back at Rahul Gandhi over his "match-fixing" accusation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as it cited the decision of the then Indira Gandhi government in 1974 to hand over Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka to accuse the Congress of compromising the interests of Tamil Nadu and the country.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Some people are talking about match fixing. In 1974, the Indira Gandhi government, compromising the country's national interest and interest of the people of Tamil Nadu, handed over Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka to benefit the Congress' first family...Rahul Gandhi ji, your family had done a deal-fixing." Addressing a press conference here, Poonawalla slammed the Congress over Gandhi's claim that the entire country will be on fire if the BJP returns to power as it seems to amend the Constitution. Divisive politics is in the "DNA" of the main opposition, he alleged.

Earlier, another BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member, Sudhanshu Trivedi, attacked the opposition rally as its leaders began gathering at the famous Ramlila Ground here in a show of unity to galvanise people's support amid investigation agencies' action against several constituents of the INDIA bloc.

Ramlila Ground once hosted "India against corruption" movement under the leadership of Anna Hazare, Trivedi said, adding that it is now hosting a rally for "everybody with corruption".

Trivedi cited corruption cases against a host of leaders, including those from the Congress, DMK and the RJD, to assert that all these charges date back to pre-2014 period amid the opposition's accusation that the Modi government is implicating them in graft probes due to its political vendetta.

People who trashed many leaders as thieves and crooks have joined hands with them, and it is a strange and startling sight, he said, in an apparent reference to the coming together of the Aam Aadmi Party with other opposition parties.

Their leader is now Lalu Prasad Yadav, a convict in several corruption cases, he added.

They are all here to hide their old sins and it must be noted that they had been against the construction of the Ram temple and some of them called for eradication of Hinduism, he alleged.

These parties represent the crisis of credibility in Indian politics while the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi symbolises the politics of credibility and the track record of delivering on its promises.

In a swipe at opposition parties, he said while they claim to have come together to save democracy but they are themselves dynastic organisations which never allowed others to rise.

People will give them a befitting reply in the polls, he said.

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