New Delhi Former Union minister Arun Jaitley’s son criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday for claiming the late finance minister threatened him over farm laws, pointing out his father died a year before the legislation was introduced.
“Rahul Gandhi now claims my late father, Arun Jaitley, threatened him over the farm laws. Let me remind him, my father passed away in 2019. The farm laws were introduced in 2020,” Rohan Jaitley, wrote on X, asking Gandhi to “let the departed Rest in Peace”.
The response came after Gandhi told the Congress’s annual legal conclave on Saturday that Jaitley had been “sent to” warn him against opposing the farm laws.
Arun Jaitley died on August 24, 2019, while the farm bills were brought to the Union cabinet on June 3, 2020 and enacted in September that year.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders too condemned Gandhi’s remarks as false and demanded an apology. Former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Gandhi of “telling a blatant lie” about a “respected finance minister who has passed away”.
“How could Jaitley have threatened him when he had passed away a year before the farm bills were brought to the Union cabinet.” Prasad asked, calling Gandhi’s statement “shameful” for someone holding the position of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.
{{/usCountry}}“How could Jaitley have threatened him when he had passed away a year before the farm bills were brought to the Union cabinet.” Prasad asked, calling Gandhi’s statement “shameful” for someone holding the position of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.
{{/usCountry}}Union minister Anurag Thakur demanded Gandhi apologise to Jaitley’s family and the country.
Rohan Jaitley, who heads the Delhi District Cricket Association, said it was not in his father’s nature to threaten anyone over opposing views. “He was a staunch democrat and always believed in building consensus,” he wrote.
The Congress leader’s remarks drew criticism beyond the BJP. Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Naresh Gujral, son of former Prime Minister IK Gujral, called the comments “shocking and painful”.
Gujral noted that “no BJP leader has ever threatened” the SAD despite the party breaking ties with the BJP-led NDA over the farm laws, which were later repealed. He described Jaitley as a “thorough gentleman” and said Gandhi’s remarks damaged his own credibility.