New Delhi: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of "blaming" Indian democracy and its institutions for the opposition party's repeated defeat in polls under his leadership.
The BJP's remarks came in response to the former Congress president's presser where he accused the Union government of being dictatorial while using a 'Hitler' example in reference to PM Narendra Modi.
Former union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad termed Rahul Gandhi's statements as "shameful and irresponsible" as he noted that it was his grandmother and then prime minister Indira Gandhi who had suspended people's democratic rights by imposing an Emergency, news agency PTI reported.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that India is witnessing "death of democracy" and anybody who stands against the government's dictatorship is "viciously attacked".
In response to the charge, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Stop demeaning the institutions of India to safeguard your corruption and misdeeds... If people don't listen to you why are you blaming us."
If people saw dictatorship, it was during the Emergency when people, including opposition leaders and editors, were jailed, judges superseded and censorship imposed. Indira Gandhi had then spoken about having "committed judiciary," he added, as quoted by PTI.
The BJP leader further cornered the Congress saying, "Why do you blame democracy when people of India reject you with repeated regularity." He also asked Rahul if there is democracy within his party which has some "good leaders" but it is all about the Gandhi family.
Rahul Gandhi had made all kind of allegations against Modi during the 2019 polls as well but people elected him with a bigger mandate, Prasad noted.
About the Enforcement Directorate's case against Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the former union minister said that he must answer as to how Young Indian, a firm in which they have a 76 per cent stake, allegedly acquired National Herald's assets worth over Rs 5,000 crore with the investment of only Rs 5 lakh. The judiciary refused to quash charges against him and others in the case, and he is now blaming institutions, Prasad commented, as per PTI.
Rahul Gandhi will have to face consequences for what he has done, Prasad said, "You will have to face trial and answer the ED's questions".
As per the BJP leader, the Modi government has been taking strong measures against corruption which he said has rattled the Congress and the system around it because democracy became synonymous with financial irregularities when the UPA was in power.
Prasad pointed out that assets allegedly acquired by several opposition leaders and their associates through graft have been seized by the ED in different parts of the country ranging from Delhi to Mumbai and Kolkata.
Agencies Doing Their Work, Don't Play Such Games: Anurag Thakur To Rahul & Sonia Gandhi
Union Minister Anurag Thakur questioned the Congress protest saying, "Why is Congress scared of investigating agencies? What are they hiding? Putting pressure on these agencies is not fair. They are only doing their work. Sonia ji and Rahul ji please don't play such games, the country wants to know the truth that you are hiding", news agency ANI reported.
In his presser, Rahul Gandhi asserted, "When India is divided and Hindus-Muslims are made to fight then we feel pained, when someone is assaulted for being Dalit, we are pained, when a woman is beaten up, we are pained that is why we fight. This is not a family, this is an ideology."
In response to this, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi remarked: "He (Rahul Gandhi) is not a descendant of Mahatma Gandhi. He is a 'nakli' (fake) Gandhi. And it is a fake ideology", ANI reported.
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs of Congress, including Rahul, RS LoP Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh, and Shashi Tharoor, were detained as the party began a "Chalo Rashtrapati Bhavan" (march to Rashtrapati Bhavan) from Parliament to register their protest.
Delhi Police detained Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after she jumped over a police barricade placed near AICC headquarters.
In all capital cities, the state units have organised a gherao of Raj Bhavans in which MLAs, MLCs, former MPs, and senior leaders are participating with party workers.
(With Agency Inputs)