Congress National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for after it seemed to skip any mention of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during today's Vijay Diwas celebrations which marks the 50th anniversary of India's victory over Pakistan in 1971. Indira Gandhi was at the head of the Congress government in power during the 1971 war.
Ripping off the saffron party, Miss Gandhi in a tweet wrote, "Our first and only woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, is being left out of the misogynist BJP government's Vijay Diwas celebrations. This, on the 50th anniversary of the day that she led India to victory and liberated Bangladesh..."
"Narendra Modi ji... women don't believe your platitudes. Your patronising attitude is unacceptable. It's about time you started giving women their due," she said.
In her tweets Miss Gandhi Vadra posted four black-and-white photographs - including one of Indira Gandhi visiting a wounded soldier and another of her meeting armed forces officers.
Her brother Rahul Gandhi also attacked the party on similar grounds; the Lok Sabha MP said Indira Gandhi, his grandmother, "took 32 bullets for the country (she was shot dead in 1984) but her name was not even mentioned at a government event".
Her attack comes on the BJP ahead of the assembly polls in Punjab, Goa, Uttar pradesh where her party is scrambling to mount a re-election campaign.
Ms Gandhi Vadra is leading the Congress' charge, particularly in UP, where she has targeted the BJP over its record on women's safety and highlighted the fact "all women have to bear exploitation". Last week she launched a "woman's manifesto" that offered free LPG cylinders, cash transfers, and a promise to fight for greater representation for women in legislative bodies, including the Parliament.
She recently also paid visit to Goa for campaigning in the state for polls.
