Congress leader hails Rahul as next ‘Mahatma’, says Gandhiji was ‘cunning’

Indranil Rajguru later clarified that he used ‘cunning’ in context of ‘clever.’

Published on: May 3, 2024, 18:23:41 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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Rahul Gandhi is all set to become the “the next Mahatma Gandhi”, according to Indranil Rajguru, a Congress leader from Gujarat.

Rahul, he also stated, is “frank” and “pure-hearted,' while Gandhiji was ”cunning."

Also Read: Restive opposition camp breathes easy with Rahul Gandhi’s Rae Bareli candidature

“Write down my words if you want to. In the coming days, Rahul Gandhi will emerge as the next Mahatma Gandhi. While Gandhiji was somewhat cunning, Rahul is totally frank and pure-hearted,” Rajguru said at a gathering in Rajkot on May 1.

The ex-legislator further described the former Congress chief as the country's “leader.”

“People have tried to portray him as a pappu (dim-witted) but the country has now accepted him as its leader,” Rajguru remarked.

BJP reacts

The BJP slammed the Congress leader, saying that people will show their anger for the Mahatma Gandhi statement by voting against the grand old party in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi becomes third generation Gandhi to contest from Rae Bareli

“Gandhiji is the father of our nation and led us to Independence. People of India and Gujarat will not forgive the Congress for such comments. This anger will be reflected in the poll results,” said Bharat Boghara, vice president of the BJP's Gujarat unit.

Rajguru responds

Responding to the saffron party, Rajguru pointed to what he termed as “reference" in a history book in which the word “cunning” was used for the Mahatma. The Congress leader also claimed that by “cunning,” he actually meant “clever.”

Also Read: Narendra Modi takes ‘don’t run' jibe at Rahul Gandhi over Rae Bareli nomination

“I have read many history books related to Gandhiji and in one such book there was a reference about it (cunning). I have not added my own words. I called Rahul Gandhi ‘the next Mahatma’ because today, he is the only one fighting the BJP, just like Mahatma Gandhi fought the British. The BJP is trying to destroy India's democracy,” the former MLA asserted.

(With PTI inputs)

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