New Delhi: The political slugfest over Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in the UK intensified on Tuesday with the BJP accusing him of insulting India’s democracy from foreign land and the Congress hitting back, saying the ruling party is “rattled” whenever he speaks.
While former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Gandhi of seeking the intervention of Europe and the US in India, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the BJP leader was distorting, twisting and lying “with a straight face”.
Addressing a press conference, Prasad expressed his party’s disapproval of Gandhi “misusing the forum of British Parliament” to “insult” India by spreading “shameful” lies and unfounded claims, and said there needed to be a “proper rebuttal”.
He accused the Congress leader of seeking to shame India’s democracy, polity, Parliament, judicial system and strategic security from a foreign land with his speeches in Britain.
If people of India do not support him and he keeps losing elections, then he should not tell lies from a foreign country to vent out his frustration, Prasad said.
The BJP leader sought reactions from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge if he “feels” that he is an elected president of the party.
He and his predecessor Sonia Gandhi should make their stand clear on Rahul Gandhi’s “utterly irresponsible” statements and whether the opposition party supports them or not, Prasad said.
Hitting back at Prasad, Ramesh tweeted, “Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad is doing what he and his Supremo do best– distort, twist, defame and lie with a straight face.”
Tagging a media report on Prasad’s remarks, Congress’ 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.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also hit out at the BJP over its criticism of Gandhi and said that the former Congress president made a very powerful statement as far as democratic values in India are concerned.
“There was no doubt in his mind, he said this is our problem, this is an internal problem, this is an Indian problem and we will find solutions within India,” Shrinate told reporters here at the AICC headquarters.
“He (Gandhi) also went on to say that when 140 crore people are part of your democratic system, the fate of Indian democracy impacts the fate of democracy on the planet. He is actually telling the world that India will decide the fate and direction of democracies all over the world, it is a hugely laudable statement,” she said.
“If anybody had any sense they would applaud him but instead the Modi government, its two-rupee trolls, its MLAs, MPs, ministers, out of job ministers, are all running forth as to who would stoop lower,” Shrinate said.
Each time Rahul Gandhi gives a statement, the BJP is “rattled”, she claimed.
She also said that if the BJP has issues with what he has said, it should debate all those topics he has spoken on in Parliament.
Gandhi told British parliamentarians in London on Monday that microphones in front of opposition members in Lok Sabha are often silenced.
During an event organised by veteran Indian-origin Opposition Labour Party MP Virendra Sharma within the House of Commons complex, he said opposition parties in India are often not allowed to debate issues in Parliament.
Prasad said Gandhi has forgotten all parliamentary norms, political propriety and “democratic shame” by criticising Indians from abroad.
He further said people of India neither listen nor understand him and supporting him is a distant thing.
Therefore, Gandhi goes abroad and laments that India’s democracy is in danger. This is a matter of great shame, Prasad added.
“Rahul Gandhi has insulted everything, including India’s democracy, parliament, people, political system, judicial system and strategic security,” the former Union minister said.
He also accused Gandhi of seeking the intervention of Europe and the US in India and said he had gone against the consensus in India against any interference in its internal affairs by foreign powers.
“Rahul Gandhi has tried to embarrass the country by saying that Europe and America should interfere in the internal affairs of India,” he said.
The BJP leader also slammed Rahul Gandhi for his condemnation of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), claiming that the Hindutva organisation has been serving society and the nation.
Gandhi’s remarks at various interactions in the UK have led to a war of words between the BJP and the Congress with the ruling party accusing him of maligning India on foreign soil and the opposition party hitting back by citing instances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raking up internal politics abroad.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Neha Khan | 
