BJP not synonymous with country, will keep criticising govt policies: Cong slams criticism of Rahul

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday hit back at the BJP over its criticism of Rahul Gandhi's remarks in the US, saying the ruling party should not treat itself as being synonymous with the country.

The principal opposition party in the Lok Sabha also said it would keep criticising the policies of the government.

The BJP came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the US about the Sikh community, saying the Congress leader is trying to create a "dangerous narrative" by speaking on "sensitive issues" abroad.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here that Gandhi's remarks were "sinister" in nature as he tried to spread falsehood among the members of the Sikh community living abroad to "eke out a living" and do not have much connection with India.

Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also slammed Gandhi for his remarks in the United States on the BJP-led government and the Election Commission, accusing him of "defaming" India abroad out of his frustration due to repeated defeats in polls.

Responding to the BJP criticism, Congress general secretary, in-charge organisation, K C Venugopal said the BJP ecosystem is "nervous and flailing" because Gandhi has spoken the plain truth.

"The 'Modi bubble' has burst. His politics of fear has failed, and nobody takes him or his band of cheerleaders seriously. Rahul ji has time and time again warned about the BJP-RSS' dangerous politics of hatred and division," the Congress leader said.

His entire mission has been to bring in love, respect and humility in public discourse, and foster the idea that India is a country where multiple ideas and identities co-exist, Venugopal said while alleging that the "BJP-RSS is the single biggest threat" to this inclusivity.

"It is also doubly hypocritical for the BJP to complain about statements made by Rahul ji in the US when the PM does not miss a single chance to repeat his hackneyed 'nothing happened in the 60 years before 2014' line which is truly an insult to the collective efforts of multiple generations of Indians who made our country great," he said.

The BJP would do well to take criticism constructively, instead of indulging in meaningless outrage when they are shown the mirror, Venugopal said.

Asked about the BJP's attack on Gandhi, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, "Since when has BJP become synonymous with India that if one condemns BJP, it is equated with condemning India. The BJP and Narendra Modi should not have this misunderstanding that condemning them is like condemning India."

"This is wrong. They (the BJP) condemn India's founding fathers in the world, that is condemning India. We will condemn their policies and will keep doing so and raise questions, it is our job," Khera said.

Over the ruling party's criticism of Gandhi's remarks that the Lok Sabha election was not fought on a level playing field, the Congress leader said an independent body had put forward its statistics on how there was "bungling" on 79 seats.

"It is ok that the Election Commission is not listening to us but it does not mean that we will spare these people when we come to power. Then we will take befitting action no matter where the person is sitting," Khera told reporters here.

"When we ask this question here then also the whole country listens. When the prime minister talks about his Mann Ki Baat, then also the whole world listens, when the PM makes ridiculous claims during elections, then also the whole world listens, when he does Hindu-Muslim, then also the whole world listens.

"When the PM says on foreign soil that people were ashamed to be born on Indian soil, what was that? When he speaks against (Jawaharlal) Nehru abroad, what was that?" he said.

On BJP citing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots to slam Gandhi's remarks on the community, Khera said there is no connection between the two.

"A person sitting on the post of PM talks about recognising people by clothes. His party runs a movement against Hijab. Those who run a movement against hijab now will tomorrow also come for turbans of Sikhs. Nobody has a doubt about that," Khera said.

Addressing a gathering of several hundred Indian Americans in Herndon, a Virginia suburb of Washington DC, Gandhi said, "First of all, you have to understand what the fight is about. The fight is not about politics. That is superficial,” Gandhi said as he asked one of the Sikh attendees in the front rows to give his name.

"What is your name, brother with the turban," he asked.

"The fight is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India or a kada in India. Or he, as a Sikh, is going to be able to go to Gurdwara. That's what the fight is about. And not just for him, for all religions," said the Congress leader.

Gandhi is currently on a four-day visit to the United States. His first stop was in Dallas which began on Saturday, and he arrived in Washington DC on Monday.