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'Big ego, little understanding'; ‘Can’t blame all…': BJP attacks Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi and Congress so arrogant that they are not saying sorry after hurting the sentiments of the OBC community, BJP chief JP Nadda said.
BJP president JP Nadda on Friday that Rahul Gandhi has a huge ego but little understanding and has been insulting the OBC community by not apologising for the Modi surname remark despite the court order. Union minister Kiren Rijiju said just because Rahul Gandhi insulted Indian democracy, the armed forces and India's institutions, all Gandhi surnames can't be blamed. “Shockingly, some Congress leaders are trying to defend it!,” Rijiju said.
Nadda said Rahul Gandhi has the habit of making fabricated allegations beyond fact. Citing Rafale and chowkidar-chor, Nadda said Rahul Gandhi was taught a lesson in 2019; the OBC community will take revenge. In 2019, Rahul Gandhi in Karnataka asked how come all thieves have 'Modi' surname in common. Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi filed a case against the comment and the verdict was announced on Thursday. BJP's Sushil Modi said he too had filed a case against Rahul Gandhi in Patna as he was hurt as a Modi by Rahul Gandhi's thief comment. Read | Kapil Sibal says Rahul Gandhi verdict bizarre: ‘Legal process…political ends’
The Teli community which mostly has the Modi surname has demanded an apology for Rahul Gandhi's remark and warned of an agitation against the Congress leader.
Parliamentary affairs minister Prahlad Joshi said the Congress should tell people whom are they fighting against. "Becayse the decision was taken by the court and not by any political party. They are questioning the judiciary. Rahul Gandhi has insulted the OBC community and arrogantly refused to apologise for his remarks," the minister said.
The 2-year sentence has become a rallying point for the opposition who condemned the verdict as an attempt to silence the opposition voice. The Congress has called a meeting of the opposition parties on Friday. It will also take to the streets in protest.
In the court, Rahul Gandhi's counsel said that they were not appealing for mercy. They submitted that the comment was not intentional and it did not cause any damage to complainant Purnesh Modi.
The political standoff comes at a time when the BJP has been seeking an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in the UK. While the Surat court order gives ammo to the BJP, the Congress is seeking to unite the opposition parties.
Rahul Gandhi has at present 7 defamation cases against him, including the Modi surname one. The others are the National Herald case, the Modi surname defamation case brought by Sushil Modi, a defamation case relating to banknotes in Ahmedabad, one in Mumbai for linking RSS to Gauri Lankesh death, one in Maharashtra over RSS killed Gandhi remark and another in Guwahati.
