BJP slams Rahul, calls him a migrant leader who has taken refuge in Kerala after being rejected in Amethi
BJP on Tuesday attackedCongress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him a “migrant leader”who has taken “shelter” in Kerala after being rejected bypeople of Amethi, once a stronghold of his family.
Targeting Gandhi, who represents Keralas Wayanad seatin Lok Sabha, on the Sabarimala women entry issue, senior BJPleader and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi claimed that thenational leadership and state leadership of the Congress havetaken two different stands on the matter.
He urged Gandhi to clear his position on the issue offaith.
In a bid to woo Christian votes in the state, Joshi,who is the partys election incharge for Kerala, also citedthe “appeasement of Islamist fundamentalists” by the Congressand ruling Left in the state while raking up the issue ofconversion of the Hagia Sophia church into a mosque in Turkey.
In this context, he cited the statement of a leader ofMuslim League, a key Congress ally, reportedly favouring theTurkish President Erdogans controversial decision.
Addressing a press conference here to highlight thepreparations for the BJPs Vijay Yatra from Kasaragod onFebruary 21, Joshi claimed Rahul Gandhi was a migrant leaderwho did nothing for the development of Amethi constituency inUttar Pradesh despite being elected thrice from there.
“There was no development.In fact, there was no X-Raymachine in the public health facility in his constituency,”Joshi alleged.
He said after being rejected by the people there,Gandhi has now taken “shelter” in Kerala and claimed people ofthe state will also understand that by supporting Congressparty, they are not going to gain anything.
On the Sabarimala issue, the BJP leader alleged Gandhisupported the Supreme Court verdict granting entry of women ofall age groups into the ancient hill shrine.However, the stateleadership of the Congress took a different stand on thematter, he said.
This shows that they have no commitment towards Hindusentiments, Joshi alleged.
“So far Rahul Gandhi has not uttered a single word onSabarimala.I challenge Rahul Gandhi….what is your stand onthe issue? You clarify your stand,” he said.
Accusing the Congress of indulging in appeasement ofIslamist fundamentalists in Kerala, the BJP leader allegedsenior IUML leader Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal hadjustified the Turkey governments controversial conversion ofIstanbuls Hagia Sophia into a mosque.
The BJP leader also attacked the ruling CPI(M) inKerala and the previous Congress-led UDF government, allegingboth had failed to address the issues of the people.
“We will expose the failures of the LDF government andprevious UDF government.Both the LDF and the UDF have failedmiserably,” Joshi said.
He said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanathwill flag-off the partys Vijay Yatra, led by state presidentK Surendran, at Kasargod on February 21.
Senior party leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shahwill attend the yatra when it reaches Thiruvananthapuram onMarch 7, he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)