Sonia 'Imposing' Rahul Gandhi On Raebareli, Says BJP, Tharoor Responds: WATCH

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticised Congress for being the "culprit" of partition and for "imposing" Rahul Gandhi on Raebareli.

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday came down heavily on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Taking a dig at the grand old party he slammed Congress over being the "culprit" of partition and for "imposing" Rahul Gandhi on Raebareli.

Chouhan, while criticising Congress's decision to field Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli, hit out at senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi saying: "She (Sonia Gandhi) is not entrusting but imposing him (Rahul Gandhi) on Raebareli. She imposed him on Congress, and it was defeated. She imposed him on Amethi, Rahul lost there and now she has imposed him on Raebareli, he will lose in Raebareli too..."

He further hit out at Congress and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru accusing them of being the "culprits of India's partition". 

"Today, the entire nation is asking who were the culprits of the partition of India? Congress and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Who committed the sin of implementing Article 370? Who created PoK? Congress and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have not only abrogated Article 370 but by implementing CAA, Indian citizenship is granted to those who were being humiliated in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan," the former MP CM said.

"Big issues have been resolved, PoK belongs to India and we will take it back..." he added.

'Utterly Pointless': Congress Responds To Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Comments 

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, in response to ex-MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan's remarks on Rahul Gandhi being imposed on Raebareli, claimed that the Wayanad MP is "unquestionably the most popular leader of the Congress party."

"He doesn't need to be imposed on anybody, by closing his eyes he will get the support of Congress workers. He doesn't need to be imposed. As far as Raebareli is concerned, it has been in the family's possession since 1952 when Feroze Gandhi was first elected from there...When his mother (Sonia Gandhi) decided that she had reached a stage that she wanted to move aside to the Rajya Sabha, it was fitting that legacy should be taken over by the son," Tharoor said.

Responding to Chouhan's comments on Jawaharlal Nehru, the Thiruvananthapuram MP stated that the whole issue is "utterly pointless".

"If it was such a burning priority for the BJP, they have been in power for 10 years, what have they done about it?...It is not about the past that we are fighting the elections, it is about the future. We are concerned about the future of 140 crore Indians," Tharoor added.