Ashok Gehlot hits out at Amit Shah, asks him to set his own house in order

BJP president Amit Shah had attacked the Congress in poll-bound Rajasthan over its criticism of the draft National Register of Citizens in Assam.

Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday hit out at Amit Shah over the “language” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief used in his address to a gathering in Jaipur on Tuesday. Gehlot asked Shah to set his house in order.

Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot hit out at Amit Shah over the “language” used in his address to a gathering in Jaipur on Tuesday. (HT File Photo)

Shah had attacked the Congress in poll-bound Rajasthan over its criticism of the draft National Register of Citizens in Assam. He had said that the criticism showed the Congress “is more concerned about its vote bank rather than the country’s security”. Shah also said the Congress did not have a leader in Rajasthan.

“He (Shah) is a national party chief but despite announcing and using all his force to make Gajendra Singh Shekhawat the BJP state president, he had to go back on his decision,’’ said Gehlot. He claimed that Shah had to bow down to Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje. “What right does such a person have to tell the Congress what to do?”

Gehlot called Shah’s language cheap. “He is not aware of the Rajasthani culture. Such language is not used here... When the national party chief uses such language, what can we expect from the others?”

Gehlot said the mood was in favour of the Congress.

BJP state spokesman Mukesh Pareek said Shah’s statement on ruling for 50 years was made in the context to the party’s success in elections across the country. He rejected Gehlot’s objection to Shah’s language.