Madhya Pradesh CM slams Rahul over China remarks, drags Rajiv Gandhi into tussle; Nath seeks apology

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks that the Narendra Modi government was asleep while China was planning to attack the country.

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party indulged in a verbal tussle as Chouhan also said smaller nations used to scare the country when Rahul Gandhi's father Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister (between 1984 and 1989).

"When Rajiv Gandhi ji was the Prime Minister, the smaller countries of the world used to scare us. A glorious and powerful India is being built under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji. Rahul Gandhi ji, don't talk unrestrained, now no one can scare India," Chouhan said in a tweet.

Talking to reporters in Katni earlier, Chouhan said India's soldiers had given a befitting reply to the Chinese military, and advised Gandhi "not to insult our army".

He also said Gandhi should recall 1962 (when India under Jawaharlal Nehru faced reverses in a border war with China) before speaking in such a manner.

Hitting back, MP Congress chief Kamal said "the indecent language used by Shivraj Singh Chouhan in relation to former prime minister late Rajiv Gandhi does not suit the MP CM".

"Rajiv Gandhi, who sacrificed everything for the pride of Mother India, will always be the ideal of this country." Nath said, adding Chouhan must study history to find out about the military's valour when Rajiv Gandhi was PM.

As part of political vendetta, Chouhan is not only insulting Rajiv Gandhi but also the military of the country, for which he must apologise, Nath further asserted.

Addressing the press on the sidelines of his Bharat Jodo Yatra on Friday, Rahul Gandhi had claimed China was preparing for war, while the Indian government was asleep and trying to ignore the threat.