Is Rahul victim of Congress conspiracy, asks Anurag Thakur
New Delhi (PTI): Why no eminent lawyer of the Congress came to the aid of Rahul Gandhi when he was convicted in a defamation case leading to his disqualification from Parliament, Union Minister Anurag Thakur asked on Tuesday and wondered if it was deliberate and part of a conspiracy within the party.
Thakur, addressing the 'Times Network India Digital Fest', also described Gandhi as a "loose cannon" and a "serial offender" who has seven cases of defamation in various courts even after being cautioned by the apex court.
The Information and Broadcasting Minister made it clear that neither the government nor the Lok Sabha secretariat had any role to play in the former Congress president's disqualification from the Lok Sabha.
Thakur said that according to the Representation of the People Act, Rahul Gandhi stood disqualified the moment he was sentenced to a two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case.
The senior BJP leader wondered why none of the eminent lawyers sent by the Congress to the Rajya Sabha could be of any help in the defamation case against Gandhi.
"Was it deliberate? Is there a conspiracy within the Congress? It is surprising that an entire battery of lawyers came to the rescue of Pawan Khera within an hour. Why did the Congress leader not move court in support of Rahul Gandhi? This is a big question," Thakur said.
"Who are these persons who hatched the conspiracy against Rahul Gandhi," the Union minister asked.
Thakur said that even after issuing a written apology to the Supreme Court, Gandhi continued to make defamatory remarks against communities, people and organisations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
He also slammed Gandhi for speaking harshly to a journalist during a press conference on Saturday.
"Some people do not know that the person who was spoken harshly to had covered the Congress party for 15 years. He lashed out at the journalist and still he talks of freedom of the press," the Union minister said.
Thakur dismissed suggestions that the BJP was over-obsessed with Gandhi and said it was the Congress that has been unable to come out of the influence of the Gandhi family.
He also accused the Congress of derailing the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament after it realised that the BJP would insist on an apology from Gandhi for his remarks "maligning India" on foreign soil.
The minister also rejected the opposition charge that the BJP government was on the defensive on the Adani issue and said that SBI, LIC, RBI, SEBI had come out with statements on the matter.
He said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman too had made a statement on the issue and an investigation by a Supreme Court-appointed committee was underway.
"There is nothing to hide. Our institutions are strong. We have to trust them. Had this not been the case, everything would be haywire," he said.
Thakur slammed the Congress party and claimed that it was obsessed with Gandhi family and prioritised them over the nation.
"Since 2013, 12 lawmakers have lost their Parliament membership due to their involvement in a criminal offence. But, Congress prioritises only a family over the country's judiciary and people and Parliament proceedings," the senior BJP leader said.
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Kangana Ranaut shown black flags in Himachal's Lahaul and Spiti, BJP files complaint with CEO
Shimla, May 20: Actor Kangana Ranaut, BJP candidate from the Mandi parliamentary constituency, was shown black flags by local people and Congress workers at Kaza in Lahaul and Spiti on Monday.
The Himachal Pradesh BJP filed a complaint with the state chief electoral officer (CEO) demanding transfer of election officials and an investigation into the incident as both the BJP and the Congress were given permission to hold rallies adjacent to each other.
The Congress workers raised anti-Kangana slogans - "Kangana, go back, Kangana Vangana nahi chalegi". They were apparently enraged over her remarks on Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in April last year.
Ranaut had tweeted a meme featuring the Dalai Lama that said, "The Dalai Lama receives a warm welcome at the White house". The photoshopped picture in the tweet showed the Dalai Lama sticking his tongue out with US President Joe Biden with a comment - Both of them have the same illness, definitely they could be friends.
Following this, a group of Buddhists staged a dharna outside her office in Mumbai.
Later she apologised saying she didn't mean to hurt anyone, and it was a harmless joke about Biden being friends with the Dalai Lama.
Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jai Ram Thakur, who had accompanied Ranaut to Kaza to campaign for the BJP, on Monday alleged that the Congress workers tried to disturb the meeting of the BJP and pelted stones on their carcade while they were returning.
Talking to reporters, he said, "It is unfortunate that for the first time, permission was given to hold a parallel rally at the venue to the Congress where prior permission was already granted to the BJP to hold the rally.
Efforts were made to disturb our rally and the Congress workers raised shameful slogans, stopped our carcade and pelted stones, injuring one person."
Thakur added that they go for campaigning all over the state but such things have happened for the first time, which shows "frustration" of the Congress and they would take up the issue with the Election Commission.
Later, in a complaint filed with the Himachal Pradesh CEO, BJP state office secretary Parmod Kumar Thakur said the Congress workers allegedly tried to illegally restrain the political procession and even pelted stones and demanded an investigation into the incident.
"The district administration granted permission for organising a political meeting to the Congress adjacent to the place already scheduled to hold a political meeting of the BJP at Kaza under undue influence of the state government in utter violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)", he said.
In the complaint, the BJP demanded the immediate transfer of election officials from Lahaul and Spiti and said giving permission to both the parties at the same location at the same time was a "big lapse" on the part of the Election Commission "in spite of the fact that permission to the BJP was provided first and the officers involved in this act are biased against the BJP, and free and fair elections are doubtful under the circumstances."
Lahaul and Spiti SP Mayank Chowdhary told PTI that workers of both the BJP and the ruling Congress came face to face but there was no clash and no person was injured. However, one worker sprained his leg, he added.
Bhishan Shashni, Congress election coordinator for Lahaul and Spiti claimed that the Congress workers were peacefully protesting but a large number of people, who were hurt by Ranaut's remarks about the Tibetan spiritual leader, joined the protest.
Earlier, Congress candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat Vikramaditya Singh had asked why Ranaut did not visit Spiti and returned from Reckong Peo alleging that she was afraid she would be shown black flags for her remarks against the Dalai Lama.
