New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi came under fire from the BJP following his meeting with controversial UK MP Jeremy Corbyn, who is known for his "anti-India" stance and had demanded the separation of Kashmir from India. The photo of Rahul Gandhi with Corbyn and Sam Pitroda was tweeted by the Indian Overseas Congress.
In a scathing tweet, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Whether it is meeting with anti-India elements like Jeremy Corbyn, who echo Pak propaganda on Kashmir, or signing an MoU with the Chinese and taking Chinese money into the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, or meeting the Chinese during Doklam, Rahul stands steadfast with anti-India forces. Why oppose the country in an attempt to oppose PM Modi?"
Along with his tweet, Poonawalla shared screenshots of Corbyn's tweets on "human rights violations in Kashmir" and a photo of Rahul Gandhi signing a pact with China.
BJP's IT-cell head Amit Malviya also attacked the Congress leader, saying, "Rahul Gandhi with UK MP and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Jeremy is known for his visceral dislike for India, advocates Kashmir’s secession and is unequivocally anti-Hindu. Gandhi has finally found his overseas collaborator, who denigrates India with the same impunity as him."
In 2020, Jeremy Corbyn was ousted from the Labour party's leadership for his 'anti-semantic' views. Under Corbyn, the Labour Party had also passed an emergency resolution advocating international intervention in Kashmir. The party was heavily criticised by sections of the Indian diaspora.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala was quick to counter the BJP's barrage of tweets hitting out at Rahul Gandhi with a photo of Jeremy Corbyn meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Finally, may I also ask our media friends to identify the two men in the picture below and ask the same questions? Does it mean the PM has endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's views on India?" Surjewala wrote. The image was taken during Modi's maiden visit to the UK after becoming the PM.
In a series of tweets, Surjewala said Rahul Gandhi taking a picture with a "person with whom we hold divergent views" was neither a crime nor an act of terror.
"If this is the criteria, our media friends should also debate: Why did PM take Nirav Modi to Davos and about their common photos? What about the video of the PM addressing Mehul Choksi as 'Hamare Mehul Bhai' at a public function? Why does the PM meet President Xi Jinping, when China has occupied our territory? Why did the PM go to Pak to meet the then PM, Nawaz Sharif? Will Govt promise it'll never ever meet anyone having divergent views from us?" Surjewala asked.