'Tiger zinda hi nahi balki…': Jairam Ramesh invokes BJP's 2004 ‘India shining’ campaign to assure Congress' victory

Amid intense political heat around the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh spoke to the news agency PTI on Friday and rejected the claims that the Lok Sabha elections 2024 are a “forgone conclusion." While mentioning the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, Jairam Ramesh affirmed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be unseated from power in New Delhi.

asserted his confidence in the "five nyays" and “25 guarantees" announced by the Congress for its Lok Sabha elections 2024 campaign and said they would be Congress' strategy and issues to contest the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Taking a jibe at BJP's slogan of Jairam Ramesh said, "Our guarantee is not of one person. We are giving the Congress guarantee and are giving these guarantees on the basis of our experience."

"Under the five 'nyays' -- Yuva Nyay, Nari Nyay, Shramik Nyay, Kisaan Nyay, and Hissedari Nyay -- that were the pillars of the , there are five guarantees each that have been announced by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, that would be our strategy and the issues (in the polls)," Jairam Ramesh added.

When asked about his earlier 'Tiger Zinda Hai' statement, Jairam Ramesh smiled and said, "Tiger zinda hai, tiger zinda hi nahi hai balki tiger utsuk hai, tiger mein aur bhi bahut jaan hai."

"So, those saying 2024 is a done deal, they are completely wrong. I will tell you what happened in 2003, the , Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, it was 'India Shining' but the Congress formed the government at the Centre in 2004, so after 20 years, that will be repeated," he said.

The remarks from the Congress general secretary in charge of communications come in the backdrop of the Lok Sabha elections 2024