Divided Congress can’t bring development to Chandigarh: Smriti Irani

Referring to a photo clicked during Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s visit to the city, Irani said that the Tewari and Bansal appeared to be having some kind of altercation

Union minister of women and child development Smriti Irani on Tuesday took a jibe at the Congress, hinting that two of its senior leaders, Chandigarh candidate Manish Tewari and former union minister Pawan Bansal, cannot see eye to eye.

Union minister Smriti Irani with BJP pick Sanjay Tandon at a party event in Ram Darbar, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. (Keshav Singh/HT)

Referring to a photo clicked during Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s visit to the city, Irani said that the Tewari and Bansal appeared to be having some kind of altercation. “When they are fighting over getting a photo clicked, what kind of development do you expect from them? I would rather say they must be fighting over who will get the virasat,” said the senior BJP leader who was addressing a ‘Mahila Shakti Samman’ rally at Dussehra Ground, Ramdarbar, Chandigarh, in support of party candidate Sanjay Tandon.

When asked for a response to Irani’s statements, Tewari clarified that there was no altercation between him and Bansal, rather he was only asking the latter to speak first. “It is nothing but BJP’s desperation that an innocuous photograph is being blown out of proportion. It further points to the complete bankruptcy of the BJP, which has nothing to show the people in terms of work in the past decade,” said the Congress candidate.

Meanwhile, Irani also made a veiled attack on Rahul Gandhi, stating, “Some Congress leaders may even plan leisure trips to Thailand post-elections, as they will lose the election and have all the time in the world.” She also spoke on Narendra Modi-led BJP government’s achievements, stating, “It was Narendra Modi who provided the Covid vaccine free of cost to every citizen, saving millions of lives. But these Congressmen are so shameless that they all got themselves vaccinated and continued to disparage PM Modi.”

Addressing the gathering, Tandon said, “It’s the magic of PM Modi’s leadership that has virtually eradicated ‘corruption,’ therefore it is no longer an issue in this Lok Sabha election, leaving the opposition helpless without a substantive issue. With his solemn oath of ‘Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga’ (I will neither indulge in corruption nor allow others to do so), Modi ji has turned rhetoric into reality.”