Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seems to have drawn no lesson from his conviction in a Surat court for tarring all Modi namesakes with the same brush. On Saturday, the incorrigible Gandhi scion was back at his penchant for dropping names and drawing comparisons, which are more than odious.
Responding to the BJP's calls for apology, he declared with aplomb, "My name is not Savarkar. I am a Gandhi. I won't apologise."
The first person to take affront to the rather profound statement was none other than Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who pointed out that Savarkar was not only the deity of Maharashtra but also a national icon.
The remark came in the wake of a press conference by Gandhi where he said he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “scared of my next speech on Adani”. The people should know about the relationship between Modi and Adani since the former became the Gujarat chief minister.
Gandhi said he was not worried about his disqualification. “Do I look worried? I am rather excited,” he said. He said it would not matter if he were disqualified for life because his fight is for truth, to defend the democratic nature of the country, to defend the institutions of this country, and to continue to raise the democratic voice of Indians.
Gandhi questions PM Modi on Adani
The Congress leader thanked all opposition parties for supporting him and said that “we shall work together”. He, however, left it to his legal team to answer the legal questions.
Gandhi repeatedly asked how Adani made ₹20,000 crore or US $3 billion from shell companies. What is shocking is the Chinese involvement in his network in defence and airports, Gandhi said and wondered why the defence ministry does not probe this. Adani will have to answer whose ₹20,000 crore he was using, Gandhi said.
Everyone in the BJP is afraid of asking Modi why he is protecting Adani, Gandhi contended and referred to a BJP minister going to the extent of stating that any attack on Adani is an attack on the country. Gandhi asked if this meant that India is Adani and Adani is India.
The Congress leader also criticised a journalist who wanted to know whether he has attacked the OBCs with his remark on the Modi surname.
Rahul lashes out at journalist
“If you want to present a case of the BJP, do not pretend to be a journalist," he said, adding that his support for OBCs is there in his speeches during the more than four months of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Gandhi also accused BJP leaders resorting to distraction by saying that he had sought the help of foreign countries to save Indian democracy and said he wanted to defend himself as was the right of any MP who is wrongly quoted in the House.
The Congress leader said his last speech in the Lok Sabha was expunged at the instance of the BJP and pointed out that Speaker Om Birla refused to restore it despite supporting documents being submitted. Gandhi said he had written twice to the Speaker to allow him to respond and that he had also personally met the Speaker, who kept smiling and told him that he cannot allow him to speak.
