Trivedi hit out at the Gandhi family over their "silence" on Indian pilot Smit Machchhar. Screengrab: ANI
BJP slams Congress over UP appointments, 'silence' on Smit Machchhar
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi questions Congress leadership over its response to pilot Smit Machchhar and the party’s Uttar Pradesh organisational reshuffle
New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) The BJP on Sunday attacked the Congress over the appointment of Aradhana Mishra and Imran Masood as its UP unit president and working president, respectively, saying it showed how vast the gap has become between Mahatma Gandhi and the "Gandhis" of the opposition party.
Speaking to reporters, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also hit out at the Gandhi family over their "silence" on Indian pilot Smit Machchhar who thwarted his co-pilot's alleged attempt to crash a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight.
Commenting on the appointments, he said, "On the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who is a symbol of peace and non-violence, Congress has appointed Imran Masood, who is infamous for his remark that he will 'chop Modi into pieces', as the party's Uttar Pradesh unit working president."
The Congress also appointed Aradhana Mishra as its UP unit president who once stopped her party workers from raising the 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogan and asked them to raise "Congress zindabaad" slogan instead, the BJP Rajya Sabha MP charged.
"This demonstrates how vast the gap has become between Mahatma Gandhi and the Gandhis of today," he added.
On Friday, the Congress appointed Aradhana Misra-Mona the president of its Uttar Pradesh unit and named MP Imran Masood the working president, effecting a major organisational reshuffle ahead of the assembly polls in the state next year.
Mona, daughter of Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari, replaces Ajay Rai, who has been the UP Congress president since August 2023.
The party also named Chaudhary Virendra Singh as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Uttar Pradesh. Mona was the CLP leader until now.
Trivedi also hit out at the Gandhi family over their "silence" on Indian pilot Smit Machchhar who foiled an attempt by his co-pilot to allegedly crash an Israel-bound plane carrying 174 people.
He called it the Gandhi family's "silent support to terrorism" and said the entire country should view the conduct of the Congress's top leadership "very seriously". This raises “many questions”, he said.
“Sonia Gandhi, the Rajmata of the first family whose eyes once welled up with tears for the accused (killed) in the Batala House encounter, has shown no trace of compassion for Captain Smit. The 'princess' (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) who used to carry a bag bearing the Palestinian cause has failed to produce even a handkerchief of sympathy from it,” the BJP leader said.
Rahul Gandhi, the “wayward prince” of the Gandhi family who was once so distressed over Gaza, seems to be so “terrified of the vote bank” that he is not able to utter a single word to hail the valour of Machchhar, Trivedi charged, demanding a response from the Congress’ top leadership.
“I feel that the entire country should view the conduct of the Congress's top leadership very seriously,” the BJP leader added.
Machchhar was stabbed and seriously injured by his Omani co-pilot in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, on Wednesday, in an alleged attempt to bring down the plane.
However, despite being stabbed, Machchhar saved the flight. PTI