Rahul hits back at PM Modi for 'dirty and shameless politics' jibe at Congress
New Delhi (PTI): A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "dirty and shameless politics" attack on the Congress, Rahul Gandhi hit back at him on Monday, saying what is shameful is the names of the prime minister and one of his cabinet colleagues appearing in the Epstein files, "selling" India's interests under the Indo-US trade deal and the "handing over" of the country's data.
In a post on X, the Congress leader claimed that Modi is unable to sleep at night due to a court case against industrialist Gautam Adani in the United States and alleged that it is a case against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its financial architecture. The inaction on the matter for 14 months is shameful, he asserted.
Gandhi said whatever the prime minister may do, the Congress will not retreat even an inch and will continue to defend the country.
Coming down heavily on the Congress over its "shirtless" protest at the just-concluded India AI Impact Summit here, Modi alleged on Sunday that the opposition party turned an international event hosted by India into an arena for its "gandi aur nangi (dirty and shameless)" politics.
"Modiji, you are talking about shame? Let me tell you what shame is. Your name, your minister's and your friend's names appearing together in the Epstein files, being linked to such a vile criminal -- that is a matter of shame. The trade deal you have done with the US, in which you have sold out the country -- that is shameful.
"You have handed over our country's data. You have wiped out the farmers. You have ruined the textile industry -- that is shameful. The entire country knows that the ongoing case against Adani in the US has kept you awake at night -- because it is a case against the BJP and your financial architecture. For 14 months, no action has been taken on it -- that is shameful," the former Congress chief said in his post in Hindi.
"Modiji, you do whatever you deem appropriate for your friends Anil Ambani, Adani and yourself. I and the lion-hearted warriors of the Congress will continue to defend the country -- we will not retreat even an inch," he added.
In a video message along with his post, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha claimed that there is fear in the prime minister's eyes and that is why he chose not to face the opposition in Parliament during the Budget session.
Gandhi claimed that it was not former Army chief M M Naravane's unpublished book but the Epstein files and the court case against Adani in the US that kept Modi away from Parliament.
He reiterated his allegations that Modi has "sold out" the country's interests under the India-US interim trade deal, in which he claimed New Delhi got nothing, and added that the name of a Union minister coming up in the Epstein files is a matter of shame.
He said it is shameful that the minister's name was mentioned in the files related to Jeffrey Epstein, who was a known paedophile.
"Modiji, continue to do what is right for your friends. But we protect the country, the farmers, the labourers, the country's small and medium industries and data, and we would continue to do that," Gandhi said in his video message, while calling on Congress workers to continue to protect the country, its farmers and labourers, and not step back even an inch.
Inaugurating the Namo Bharat train and the Meerut Metro Rail extension on Sunday, Modi said the Congress's conduct has shown how "ideologically-bankrupt and impoverished" the grand old party has become.
He accused the Congress of crossing all limits and said the conduct of the opposition party drew widespread criticism. However, instead of feeling ashamed, Congress leaders are glorifying those who insulted the country, the prime minister said.
Youth Congress workers staged a "shirtless" protest at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the AI summit, on Friday.
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Priyank Kharge backs AICC chief’s ‘snake’ remark, hits out at Assam CM
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday defended his father and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge’s "poisonous snake" remark against the BJP and RSS.
He also hit out at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, calling him "frustrated" and accusing him of "caste privilege" over his remarks on Mallikarjun Kharge.
"What has he (Mallikarjun Kharge) said? He said one must act if one encounters a poisonous snake. If you find a poisonous snake, will you feed it milk and nurture it, or will you drive it away?" Kharge asked in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters, he said, "Who is sowing the seeds of communal poison in our society? Why? Should we save and nurture such ideologies and principles? No. That is what he (Mallikarjun Kharge) has said. We have been saying this for a long time, not just now."
Terming the RSS ideology and principles detrimental to the country’s and society’s progress, the minister said their perspective does not accommodate the Constitution, minorities, backward classes, Adivasis, Dalits, or even women. "They believe in Manusmriti; we follow the Constitution," he said.
Questioning what one would do upon encountering a poisonous snake, Kharge said, "Will you call a conservationist? They would take it and release it in the forest. If you don’t find a conservationist, what will you do? What do people in villages do? If an ideology is not good for the progress of the country, it should not be adopted."
At an election rally in Assam’s Sribhumi district on Monday, citing the Quran, Mallikarjun Kharge said that if a poisonous snake passes in front of someone offering namaz, the person should stop the prayer and kill the snake.
"I would say that breaking the namaz does not matter. The RSS and the BJP are that poisonous snake. If you don’t kill this snake, you will not survive," he said.
Calling Sarma "frustrated" over his remarks against the AICC chief, Priyank said Mallikarjun Kharge has been in politics for about 50 years, and that neither the BJP nor the Prime Minister has answers to the questions he raises in Parliament and outside.
"The sense of caste privilege instilled in Sarma after his RSS training was not there when he was in the Congress. Sarma belongs to the Brahmin community. He has that privilege and believes whatever he says is acceptable, whether it is against Dalits or Dalit leaders," he claimed, adding that this reflects RSS ideology and its adherence to ‘Chaturvarna’ (the four-fold varna system) thinking.
He further said Sarma comes from an "enlightened and awakened community" and believes he can speak against those from other communities.
He asked, "What does Prime Minister Modi have to say about this? Will he defend it? Will he accept comments made by his chief minister against the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha?"
Sarma triggered a row on Tuesday when he hit out at Mallikarjun Kharge, saying he was "speaking like a madman" due to old age, after the latter called for central agencies to probe allegations against the Assam CM.
Reacting to the RSS filing a police complaint against Mallikarjun Kharge over his "poisonous snake" remarks, Priyank Kharge questioned how the organisation could do so if it is not registered.
"How can the RSS file a complaint? On what letterhead has it been filed? Individuals can file complaints, but I don’t know how the RSS can do so, as it has itself said it is unregistered. On one hand, they say they are unregistered; on the other, they claim their organisation has been insulted. Does this organisation exist or not?" he said.
He alleged that while the RSS has a structure and incurs expenditure, it does not pay income tax.
"What kind of patriotism is this? Is tax evasion patriotism? Then everyone will start doing it," he claimed.
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