New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday called Congress leader Rahul Gandhi the "present-day Mir Jafar of Indian polity" and sought an apology from the Wayanad MP for his in the United Kingdom. Attacking the Congress leader, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Rahul Gandhi wants to become 'nawab' in India for which he is seeking help from foreign powers.
"Rahul Gandhi is a present-day Mir Jafar of Indian polity. What he has done in London is the same thing that Mir Jafar did," Patra said at a press conference. Mir Jafar was the East India Company's first 'nawab' of Bengal. He served as a commander in the Bengal army under Siraj ud-Daulah and betrayed Siraj ud-Daulah during the Battle of Plassey, paving the way for British rule in India.
Rahul Gandhi wants to become "nawab"
The BJP leader said that Rahul Gandhi has sought help from the East India Company to become a nawab.
"Rahul Gandhi did the same thing during his visit to London. He invited foreign forces to come to India. Shehzada wants to become a nawab. Shehzada has sought help from the East India Company to become a nawab," Patra said. The BJP spokesperson also alleged that it was not the first time that Gandhi has "spoken against India" in a foreign land. "This is just not a random issue. This is a consistent conspiracy by the Congress party and the Gandhi family," he added.
He also alleged Gandhi insulted and defamed India with his comments about India overseas, saying, "People have not given this right to him." He asserted that the BJP will not let the Congress leader get away without an apology for his remarks in London. "There is no other alternative left before him. He will have to apologise because he has insulted and defamed India. We will make him apologise," the BJP spokesperson said.
"Since the Congress can not make Shehzada a nawab with the blessings of the people of India, he goes abroad seeking help. This will not be allowed," he added.
Rahul Gandhi's attendance in Parliament is 52%
On Gandhi's comment that his microphone was turned off in Parliament, Patra alleged the Congress leader remains abroad "most of the time". “Gandhi's attendance in Parliament is 52 per cent, whereas the national average is 78 per cent. The attendance of lawmakers from Kerala, from where Gandhi is also an MP, is 84 per cent on average,” the BJP spokesperson said. He further said that the Congress MP has participated in just six debates in Parliament so far and asked merely 92 questions since 2019, he added. "You (Gandhi) don't ask questions because you don't have questions. You have just one tape recorder that you play everywhere. You don't participate in debates and discussions because you have nothing to debate. Your attendance in Parliament is the lowest," Patra charged.
On Gandhi seeking permission to speak in Lok Sabha on the issue, Patra asked who was stopping him from doing so. "He will speak only when he comes to Parliament," he said, taking a jibe at the Wayanad MP. Gandhi has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking permission to speak in the House over his democracy remarks made in London, according to sources. The Congress MP had met Birla last week after his return from the UK.
Meanwhile, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge came in support of party leader Rahul Gandhi and said that he won’t apologise. The Congress leader also slammed the Centre for giving protection to fugitive Mehul Choksi.
"Rahul Gandhi won’t apologise. We will ask for the same demand again and again till we don’t get an answer. This is just a diversion from the issue. Our embassies are getting attacked but they are not saying anything to condemn these attacks. These people gave protection to Mehul Choksi and now are talking about 'Deshbhakti'," said Kharge.
