Rahul Gandhi must not think he is India and India is Rahul: Sambit Patra

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Monday (April 3) said “Rahul Gandhi must not think he is India and India is Rahul Gandhi.” He was talking at a Press meet in Kolkata about the Congress leader’s conviction in a defamation case by a Surat court and his going to Gujarat to appeal in higher court against the verdict.

The BJP leader accused the Congress leader of behaving as if he and his family were above the law of the land. Gandhi was scheduled to be in Surat during the day to file an appeal in the sessions court against his conviction in the 2019 criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remarks.

Also read: Another ‘Modi surname’ case: Patna court summons Rahul Gandhi

“Attack on judiciary”

Patra alleged that Gandhi, who had “cast a slur on the OBC community” in 2019 and was convicted by a court in Gujarat, was visiting Surat “to foment trouble.”

“You (Gandhi) were convicted by court as you had cast a slur on OBC communities; you can’t take the OBCs for granted; you cannot insult them…. Don’t forget, a tribal woman has become the President of the country for the first time; India has a PM from the OBC community; there are many from OBC in our Cabinet,” he said.

Claiming that Gandhi had no regard for Indian judiciary, he said, “You (Gandhi) are exerting pressure on judiciary. You were given the chance to apologise for your insulting words against the OBC community. Instead, you are going to augment the kind of words used against the OBCs. The local court had given him the chance to seek forgiveness, but you (Gandhi) said you won’t. Why such arrogance?”

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“The way your people attacked the judiciary — why such hatred for Indian democracy? Now you go out to insult Indian democracy. Look at the audacity,” he remarked.

(With agency inputs)