A fiery exchange erupted in Parliament following Rahul Gandhi’s blistering critique of the BJP during his first speech as Leader of the Opposition. Accusing the ruling party of spreading fear and labeling Hindus as violent, Gandhi’s remarks ignited a strong rebuttal from top BJP ministers, who condemned his statements as irresponsible and insulting.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw spearheaded the BJP’s response, expressing dismay over Gandhi’s characterization of Hindus and his alleged distortion of facts regarding government policies. “Calling Hindus ‘violent’ is highly condemnable. It does not befit the stature of the Leader of the Opposition, a position held with respect by stalwarts like Atal Bihar Vajpayee and Sushma Swaraj,” Vaishnaw asserted.
Vaishnaw also drew parallels to past instances where Congress leaders purportedly made derogatory remarks about Hindus, aiming to underscore what he described as a pattern of denigration by the opposition party. He pointed to historical statements made by leaders like P Chidambaram and others, accusing them of perpetuating negative stereotypes about the Hindu community.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju added to the criticism, highlighting Gandhi’s failure to acknowledge the President’s address and his purported lack of constructive solutions. Rijiju demanded Gandhi substantiate his claims, particularly regarding issues of compensation in Ayodhya, which Gandhi had raised during his speech.
Meanwhile, BJP President JP Nadda took to social media to amplify the party’s stance, denouncing Gandhi’s remarks as divisive and dishonest. Nadda accused Gandhi of spreading falsehoods and hatred, asserting that his speech lacked factual accuracy and was intended solely to incite communal tensions.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy echoed similar sentiments, condemning Gandhi’s remarks as inflammatory and hypocritical. They argued that such divisive rhetoric from the opposition leader undermines national unity and disparages the contributions of the Hindu community to India’s social fabric.
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