{"id":17603,"date":"2017-08-19T11:04:49","date_gmt":"2017-08-19T18:04:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/?p=17603"},"modified":"2017-08-19T11:05:10","modified_gmt":"2017-08-19T18:05:10","slug":"congress-bjp-in-a-war-of-words-over-rahuls-remark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/congress-bjp-in-a-war-of-words-over-rahuls-remark\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress, BJP in a War of Words Over Rahul\u2019s Remark"},"content":{"rendered":"

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addresses a day-long convention ‘Sajha Virasat Bachao Sammelan’ in New Delhi, Aug. 17. (Kamal Kishore\/PTI)<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Congress and the BJP were engaged in a war of words, Aug. 17, over Rahul Gandhi\u2019s remarks made at an opposition meet, with the BJP alleging it was \u201chypocrisy\u201d to talk about \u201ccomposite culture\u201d while remaining silent over killings of RSS workers in Kerala.<\/p>\n

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Speaking at the \u2018Sanjhi Virasat Bachao\u2019 meeting, Congress vice president Gandhi had demanded a \u201cSach Bharat\u201d or a true India instead of \u201cSwachch Bharat\u201d and attacked the BJP\u2019s ideological mentor, the RSS, and accused it of trying to divide society on the lines of caste and religion.<\/p>\n

Hitting back at Gandhi, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Congress vice president\u2019s observations are more of a \u201cpolitical cry\u201d arising out of a deep sense of dismay as to why he and his party are being rejected by the people of the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a question on the talk of composite heritage (\u2018sanjhi virasat\u2019) which is going on today. RSS workers in Kerala\u2019s Kannur are being allegedly killed by CPI-M workers, which heritage is that?\u201d Prasad asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe organizers of composite heritage – Congress, Left and Sharad Yadav are sitting together, how do they consider the merciless killing of RSS workers in Kannur in Kerala by CPI-M workers and their goons? Is it part of the composite heritage of India? This is hypocrisy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes Rahul Gandhi speak about it (Killings in Kerala?) Where are Delhi\u2019s so called liberal intellectuals who were doing \u2018Award Wapasi\u2019? Today RSS workers are being killed by CPI-M goons, why are the liberal intellectuals silent now?\u201d Prasad asked.<\/p>\n

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari again hit back and termed as \u201cunfortunate and intemperate\u201d the remarks of Prasad on Gandhi and said it did not behove a minister to make obtuse personal comments.<\/p>\n

Taking exception to Prasad\u2019s remarks against Gandhi, Tewari said the Union minister was not even aware of the facts about his party\u2019s existence in 1980.<\/p>\n

The Congress leader said Prasad\u2019s remarks truly reflect the exquisite mixture of \u201cignorance and arrogance\u201d with which this government has come to characterize itself within its 38 months of being in power.<\/p>\n

He asked the minister whether it was not true that the previous NDA government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee had formed a committee to suggest changes in the Constitution.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas that not an attempt to change the Constitution of India?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, and former JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, attend a day-long convention ‘Sajha Virasat Bachao Sammelan’ in New Delhi, Aug. 17. (Kamal Kishore\/PTI)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tewari said the highest positions in the government, such as the Prime Minister\u2019s Office, and the country\u2019s various institutions, are occupied by people who owe their allegiance to the RSS and its affiliated bodies.<\/p>\n

\u201cMinisters of the Union are serving on the board of a think tank belonging to the RSS while being ministers is a clear case of conflict of interest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Referring to Prasad\u2019s remarks on political violence in the country, especially in the context of Kerala, Tewari said the political killings have been condemned from this platform by the Congress repeatedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the law minister sees the violence of the CPI-M, he does not see the violence which is unleashed by his own party men and organizations which owe allegiance to it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Tewari said all those people who have gathered for the \u2018Sanjhi Virasat Bachao\u2019 (save country\u2019s composite heritage) are actually \u201cpoor runners\u201d of the liberal idea of India, an idea which has been under stress, strain and sustained assault for the last 38 months.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the ideological battle against sectarianism, against fundamentalism and against the kind of obscurantism would continue, and ultimately we would triumph,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Congress vice president Gandhi had demanded a \u201cSach Bharat\u201d or a true India instead of \u201cSwachch Bharat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gandhi also attacked the BJP\u2019s ideological mentor, the RSS, and accused it of trying to divide society on the lines of caste and religion.<\/p>\n

\u201cModi ji says he wants to create a \u2018Swachch Bharat\u2019 but we want a \u2018Sach Bharat\u2019…We don\u2019t want your \u2018fake Bharat\u2019,\u201d Gandhi said, and alleged, \u201cWherever he (Modi) goes he lies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gandhi, however, did not elaborate further.<\/p>\n

Alleging that the RSS knew its views would not help it win elections, he said it was trying to plant its people in every institution.<\/p>\n

\u201cTill the time RSS did not rule India, they never saluted the national flag…You can look at this nation in two ways.<\/p>\n

One says this country is mine, other says I belong to the country. That\u2019s the difference between RSS and us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addresses a day-long convention ‘Sajha Virasat Bachao Sammelan’ in New Delhi, Aug. 17. (Kamal Kishore\/PTI) The Congress and the BJP were engaged in a war of words, Aug. 17, over Rahul Gandhi\u2019s remarks made at an opposition meet, with the BJP alleging it was \u201chypocrisy\u201d to talk about \u201ccomposite culture\u201d…<\/p>\n

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