BJP leaders hit back with strong remarks at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi after he said at a poll rally in Bihar that PM Narendra Modi could do anything for votes, including doing “drama” for Chhath Puja and “dance” if asked.
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, who's been campaigning in the state, said, "The derogatory remarks reflect Rahul Gandhi's political bankruptcy. This proves that the Congress has no agenda for Bihar, and therefore, they are compelled to resort to personal accusations for cheap popularity," in a post on X.
Speaking to reporters, she also said, “These leaders of the Mahagathbandhan are all like thieves, who can do anything, insult anyone, just for votes. But Biharis understand this. Biharis may be innocent, but they are not foolish.”
She also accused the Congress leader of "political immaturity" and said he had insulted “the faith of millions of Chhath devotees”.
{{/usCountry}}She also accused the Congress leader of "political immaturity" and said he had insulted “the faith of millions of Chhath devotees”.
{{/usCountry}}Rahul Gandhi, campaigning in Darbhanga, had said that the BJP staged a "drama" and built a separate pond for PM Modi to take a dip in during Chhath Puja in Delhi. The AAP had started these allegations. PM Modi did not go for a dip, and there was no confirmation if he had planned to.
“PM Modi said that he will bathe in the Yamuna for Chhath,” Gandhi claimed. “The Yamuna has dirty water. If someone drank it, they would either get sick or die. But Modi staged a drama. He built a small pond there. They will show you anything for elections. A pipe is installed from behind. Clean water is poured into it. The problem arose that someone took a photo of the pipe.”
The Delhi CM claimed that under Modi's leadership, the Yamuna ghats in the national capital had transformed. "Where devotees were once forced to worship amidst foam and filth, today those same ghats are replete with cleanliness, facilities, and beauty. This sensitivity is the culture of the BJP," she said.
Union minister Giriraj Singh, a prominent BJP leader from Bihar, also took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, and said “the habit of dancing runs in Gandhi's family”.
Another central minister and BJP's Bihar election in-charge, Dharmendra Pradhan, claimed the Congress MP made the remarks out of fear of losing the assembly polls.
"For the last two decades, the people of Bihar have been voting against their (RJD & Congress) jungle raj. They have repeatedly trampled the aspirations of Bihar's youth. Earlier too, they had insulted PM Modi's mother," Pradhan told ANI, referring to an instance when a man took the mic before the leaders arrived at a Mahagathbandhan rally to throw cuss words at PM Modi.
Pradhan also reacted to Rahul Gandhi's claim that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is just a face with the "remote control" in the hands of the BJP.
"Who is Rahul Gandhi to make statements on Nitish Kumar? The people of Bihar will teach a lesson to those who try to mislead them. No one is taking Tejashwi (Yadav) seriously," the BJP leader said.