Shah was speaking to a collection of “eminent persons” of Chhattisgarh, on the second day of his three-day trip to the state, with a view to strengthening the party before elections in late 2018.
“Bahut chatur baniya tha woh, usko maloom tha aage kya hone waala hai. Usne kaha tha azaadi ke baad Congress ko turant bikherna chahiye. Kuch log ab usko bikherna ka kaam kar rahe hai. Congress ke koi desh chalane ke siddhant nahi the (The Congress is not a party based on one ideology or one principle, it is a special purpose vehicle to gain independence…this is why Mahatma Gandhi with foresight, he was a very clever baniya, he knew what was going to happen, he said immediately after independence that the Congress should be dissolved),” he said.
Criticizing the current state of the Congress and the leadership, Shah said "some people are now completing the job of dissolving the party, which Gandhiji couldn't.”
The Congress has demanded an apology from Shah for disrespecting the ‘father of the nation.”