Brother not married, so sister has come: Amit Shah on Congress 'dynasty'

BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday targetted the Nehru-Gandhi family saying the prime minister's seat is reserved "by birth" in the Congress. Shah wondered if a common Congress worker could ever think of occupying the top post.

BJP President Amit Shah. PTI Photo

GODHRA: BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday targetted the Nehru-Gandhi family saying the prime minister's seat is reserved "by birth" in the Congress. Shah wondered if a common Congress worker could ever think of occupying the top post. Taking potshots on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Shah said: As  the "brother" (Rahul ) has not married, so now the "sister" (Priyanka ) has come (in the political arena). Highlighting the democracy within the BJP, Shah claimed that in the saffron party, a common booth worker like him could rise to the rank of party president and a 'chaiwala' (Modi) could became the prime minister. "I was a booth worker of the BJP. I rose to be the party president. The chaiwala has become the prime minister of the country, rising through the ranks," PTI quoted Shah as saying while addressing party workers here. "Can any party worker from Congress ever think of becoming the prime minister? In that party that seat is reserved by birth," he said. A BJP worker need not take birth in a specific family to occupy high posts, he added. Priyanka Gandhi was last month appointed AICC general secretary and in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. Last month, Shah mocked the appointment of Priyanka Gandhi as a Congress general secretary saying a government run by a dynasty could not serve the people, but could only provide a "majboor" (helpless) government. The Congress had brought the "third G" into the fray after the "two Gs -- Sonia G and Rahul G" to indulge in more corruption, he had said. Referring to the 2G scam that dogged the Congress-led UPA-2 regime, Shah said the opposition party wanted to indulge in more corruption now with the induction of the "third G -- Priyanka G".