NEW DELHI, Aug 4: As the Supreme Court rapped Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on the Army, the BJP on Monday took a swipe at him saying he has vowed to “strengthen China” while the Congress asserted that every patriotic Indian has sought answers since the Galwan incident but the government has chosen to “obfuscate” the truth.
Calling Gandhi “China guru”, the ruling party claimed that the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and his party also “hate” the Indian armed forces and that he is being “remote controlled by foreign forces”.
The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the proceedings against Gandhi before a Lucknow court over his remarks about the Army during his December 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra. The top court, however, censured the Congress leader, saying if he is a true Indian, he would not say such a thing.
Latching on to the apex court’s observations, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said he hoped that the Congress leader would mend his ways after being “rebuked” by the Supreme Court for making “unsubstantiated claims”.
“These kinds of statements from the Leader of the Opposition are extremely harmful for the nation, and they demoralise our forces,” the minister said.
He said several leaders had appealed to Gandhi not to make unsubstantiated statements, but he was unwilling to take any counsel.“I am happy that the Supreme Court has given him a warning. It is a strong rebuke for making unsubstantiated claims. I hope he and the Congress mend their ways after the rebuke from the Supreme Court,” Rijiju said.
CONGRESS REACTS
Meanwhile, the Congress said every patriotic Indian has sought answers on China since the 2020 Galwan incident but the Modi government has chosen to “obfuscate and hide” the truth with its policy of “DDLJ — deny, distract, lie, and justify”.
The opposition party also alleged that the Modi government is responsible for the biggest territorial setback India has faced since 1962, and accused it of pursuing “normalisation” with a hostile China because of its cowardice and misplaced economic priorities.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said ever since 20 brave soldiers were martyred in Galwan on June 15, 2020, every patriotic Indian has sought answers.
“Yet instead of providing answers, the Modi government for the past five years has chosen to obfuscate and hide the truth with its policy of ‘DDLJ — deny, distract, lie, and justify’,” he said.
“The fact of the matter is that the Modi government is responsible for the biggest territorial setback India has faced since 1962, and it is pursuing ‘normalisation’ with a hostile China because of its cowardice and misplaced economic priorities,” Ramesh said.
Congress leader and senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who represented Gandhi in the court, said, “Ironical and amazing! Losers crowing whole day against RG! SC forms prima facie opinion in favour of RG and issues notice in defamation case. Complainant represented by senior counsel objects. Notice still issued. If you read social media & BJP trolls or Mr Malviya, it sounds like RG lost today!” “2nd RG gets stay of proceedings despite opposition by senior counsel from complainant. Again trolls and BJP crowers suggest ignominious defeat! 3rd these people quote and gloat on oral observations of SC, always made to elicit responses from each side in every case to falsely suggest damnation findings against RG.
“Victor in court becomes loser; loser gloats as if he got unprecedented victory (!) & janta confused & confounded. Politics wins; reason, rationality, law and judicial order in black and white loses!” Singhvi said.
Earlier, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that Gandhi keeps making “immatured, irresponsible and anti-India comments” even though he has been rapped by various courts for such remarks in the past.
“Today when the Supreme Court’s comment has come, it won’t be wrong to say that Rahul Gandhi has certainly vowed to weaken India and strengthen China,” Bhatia said.
Showing a purported picture of Rahul Gandhi signing some document in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the BJP spokesperson claimed that the Congress leader had signed a party-to-party memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Communist Party of China.
“That’s why Rahul Gandhi was saying that our soldiers were thrashed by Chinese soldiers, be it (in) Doklam or Galwan, while every Indian was standing by India and brave soldiers of India,” he charged.
They never tell the people of India what was there in the Congress’ party-to-party MoU with the Communist Party of China, he said. (PTI)