The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said that he owes an explanation to the nation over Democratic Progressive Azad Party founder and former Gandhi family loyalist Ghulam Nabi Azad’s comment that the former Congress chief had met undesirable businessmen during his foreign trips.
Playing a video clip of Azad’s TV interview at a press conference in Patna, former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Ghulam Nabi Azad has made serious allegations that whenever Rahul Gandhi goes abroad, he meets ‘undesirable businessmen’. With whom Rahul Gandhi meets? What is the agenda? Is Rahul Gandhi working with anti-India businessmen to weaken the country?”
Responding to a query during a TV interview on Sunday, Azad, who quit Congress over differences with Rahul Gandhi in August last year, said, “I have great respect for the (Gandhi) family. I don’t want to speak anything. Otherwise, I can give ten examples (of) where he (Rahul) would go, even outside the country, to meet people, who are undesirable businessmen.”
Prasad said, “Now the country wants to know whom does Rahul Gandhi meet during his foreign tours? Rahul Gandhi has never appreciated India’s progress in the last nine years. Is Rahul Gandhi trying to weaken India’s democracy by meeting anti-India businessmen. Rahul Gandhi is supporting all anti-India businessmen, so he always makes fun of India’s vaccine and India.”.
{{/usCountry}}Prasad said, “Now the country wants to know whom does Rahul Gandhi meet during his foreign tours? Rahul Gandhi has never appreciated India’s progress in the last nine years. Is Rahul Gandhi trying to weaken India’s democracy by meeting anti-India businessmen. Rahul Gandhi is supporting all anti-India businessmen, so he always makes fun of India’s vaccine and India.”.
{{/usCountry}}“He goes on a foreign trip every 3-4 months. After returning to India, his tone changes. Whenever he returns his attacks on PM Modi, India and country’s development increases. He is trying is trying to weaken the country. They are working against the country by inviting foreign interference and weakening our foreign image,” the BJP MP added.
The BJP, which faced heat over the Adani issue, reminded the Congress of investment being done by the group in Congress-ruled states.
“Isn’t it true that the Adani group has made investment worth ₹65,000 crore in Rajasthan; isn’t it true that the Congress government approved a port to be built by Adani in Kerala; the renewal granted by Congress-led Chhattisgarh government for expansion of mines and ₹15,000 crore investment in Bengal,” Prasad said.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in a tweet said, “With every passing day, Ghulam Nabi Azad falls to new depths to demonstrate his true character and his loyalty to Mr. Modi. His contemptible statements on the Congress leadership reflect his desperation to remain relevant. I can only say that he is PATHETIC.”