BJP slams Rahul for seeking ‘US, Europe intervention in India’; Congress hits back | India News
While the BJP lashed out at Rahul for apparently seeking the intervention of US and Europe in India’s internal affairs, the Congress accused the saffron party of “distoring and twisting” the Wayanad MP’s statements.
Here’s a roundup of the political slugfest …
‘Utterly irresponsible statement’
Launching a searing attack on Rahul, the BJP said that it’s clear that the former Congress president is completely in the grip of “Maoist thought process through his minions” and also “anarchist elements”.
Addressing a press conference, former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad expressed his party’s disapproval of Rahul “misusing the forum of British parliament” to spread shameful lies and unfounded claims, and said there needed to be a “proper rebuttal”.
He accused the Congress leader of shaming India’s democracy, polity, Parliament, judicial system and strategic security from a foreign land.
Terming the remarks as “utterly irresponsible” and “shameful”, Prasad asked Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to clear the party’s stand over Rahul Gandhi’s statements.
The BJP leader also accused Rahul of seeking the intervention of Europe and the US in India, and said he has gone against the consensus in India against any interference in its internal affairs by foreign powers.
During his tour in UK, Rahul had expressed regret that democratic parts of the world, including US and Europe, have failed to notice that a “large chunk of democracy has come undone”.
“Sonia Gandhi Ji, BJP will like to urge you to make your stand very clear – where do you stand in the face of this utterly irresponsible statement of your son asking for interference by America and Europe to restore democracy in India?” Prasad said.
Meanwhile, Union minister Kiren Rijiju slammed Rahul for his remark that the microphones of opposition leaders are often switched off in Parliament saying that it is the Congress leader who speaks the most in the House.
“Be it Rahul Gandhi or others, they keep abusing the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from dawn to dusk. The one who speaks the most says that they are not allowed to speak,” Rijiju told reporters.
Deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh also slammed the Congress leader and termed his statement “absolutely false and baseless”.
“…I’d like to say it was absolutely false, baseless. Nothing can be more false than this. I have been in Parliament for the past nine years and not once have I heard anything like that from anyone…” Harivansh told ANI.
During his speech at the Cambridge University, the Congress MP had alleged that the opposition’s voice was being stifled in Parliament.
‘Distorting, twisting, lying with straight face’
Amid a volley of criticism from BJP leaders, the Congress strongly defended Rahul Gandhi and lashed out at Prasad for “distorting, twisting and lying with a straight face”.
In a dig at Prasad, Congress said that the former Union minister is trying to “impress his bosses to seek re-employment”.
“Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad is doing what he and his Supremo do best — distort, twist, defame and lie with a straight face,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.
Tagging a media report on Prasad’s remarks at the presser, Congress’s media department head Pawan Khera said on Twitter, “There is nothing more amusing than watching an unemployed leader of a ruling party trying to seek relevance and re-employment.”
“Those who have a full time job of twisting statements of opposition leaders forget their own favourite slogan ‘Ab Kii Baar, Trump Sarkaar’,” Khera said.
‘Fight is between two old ideas of India…’:Rahul Gandhi tears into BJP in the UK
Rahul’s latest attack
Meanwhile, Rahul stepped up his attack on BJP upon the conclusion of his UK visit, saying that the party will not be in power “eternally”.
The BJP likes to believe that it will be in power in India “eternally” but that is not the case and the opposition can come together to undertake the “repair work” that needs to be done for Indian democracy, the Congress leader said.
Addressing an in-conversation session at the Chatham House think tank in London on Monday evening to round off his week-long UK tour, the MP from Kerala’s Wayanad once again claimed that Israeli software Pegasus was planted on his phone as he accused the ruling BJP of trying to silence dissent in India.
“To put it in perspective, if you look at the time from independence to now, the Congress party has been in power for the majority of the time,” Rahul said.
“Before the BJP was in power for 10 years, we were in power for 10 years. The BJP likes to believe that they have come to power in India and they are going to be in power eternally, that’s not the case,” the 52-year-old former Congress chief said.
During his Chatham House discussion, Rahul pointed out that besides the Congress, the foreign media has also been highlighting that there is a “serious problem with Indian democracy”.
“It is also the way the BJP responds. It is not interested in a conversation. They have decided that they know what is going on, nobody else in the country knows what is going on and that is it…. My phone had Pegasus on it, that simply was not happening when we were in power. So there are things that are very obvious and apparent to everyone,” he said.
He also took aim at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a “fundamentalist, fascist organisation” that has changed the nature of the democratic contest in India by capturing the country’s institutions.
Asked to explain the RSS to a foreign audience, he noted: “You can call it a secret society. It is built along the lines of the Muslim Brotherhood and the idea is to use the democratic contest to come to power and then subvert the democratic contest afterwards.
BJP vs Congress
Earlier too, the BJP and Congress were embroiled in a verbal duel over Rahul’s remarks in UK.
While BJP accused Rahul of maligning India’s image on foreign soil, Congress hit back at the saffron party by citing instances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raking up internal politics abroad.
Hitting out at Rahul, Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur had said the Congress leader is “betraying the nation” with his remarks.
“Do not betray India, Rahul Gandhi ji. The objections to India’s foreign policy are evidence of your scant understanding of the issue. No one will believe the lies you spread about India from foreign soil,” Thakur told reporters in New Delhi on Monday.
The BJP has also made light of Rahul’s allegation that he was being snooped upon, saying that the Congress leader was “hallucinating” and makes such claims as he wants to create headlines wherever he goes.
BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla had said that Rahul has crossed all limits in his hatred for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
BJP MP Vivek Thakur accused Rahul of being an “agenda carrier” of another country.
However, the Congress mounted a strong defence of its leader, alleging that it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has been saying things abroad about the country and the opposition.
The Congress also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the “most obnoxious things” and has always spoken against India’s political leaders.
“From Seoul to Shanghai, Moscow, Toronto, the US, Abu Dhabi and Oman, wherever he (the PM) has travelled, he has always spoken against India’s political leaders… In Shanghai on Chinese soil, he has said things like ‘nothing happened in 70 years’. He has demeaned India’s freedom struggle, he has demeaned the institutions that we have built, he has demeaned an average Indian, who works very hard and contributes to nation building,” Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate had said.
(With inputs from agencies)
Watch ‘What happens to you when you visit abroad?: Union minister RS Prasad slams Rahul Gandhi over remarks in UK
