BJP blasts Rahul over Vietnam trip, says he ‘exploited’ Manmohan Singh’s demise
New Delhi: Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, the BJP on Monday alleged that Rahul Gandhi “exploited” former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s death for his “expedient politics” and flew to Vietnam to ring in the New Year while the country is mourning his demise.
The Congress hit back and asked when will the “Sanghis stop this ‘take diversion’ politics”. “While the country is mourning Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s demise, Rahul Gandhi has flown to Vietnam to ring in the new year,” BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya said in a post on X.
Gandhi politicised and exploited Singh’s death for his expedient politics but his contempt for him is unmissable, he charged.
“The Gandhis and the Congress hate Sikhs. Never forget that Indira Gandhi desecrated the Darbar Sahib,” Malviya added.
Reacting sharply, Congress leader Manickam Tagore wrote in a post on X: “When will the Sanghis stop this ‘take diversion’ politics?”
He alleged that the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi denied Singh a place for cremation on the Yamuna banks and his ministers cornered his family was “shameful”.
“If Gandhi travels privately, why does it bother you?” he asked Malviya and said “Get well in the New year”.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala also meddled in the row, saying when the nation was in mourning for Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi had left ‘on a tour, to party.’
Hitting out at the Congress party, Union coal minister G Kishan Reddy alleged that the grand old party is indulging in politics with regard to the demise. Reddy, who is also Telangana BJP chief, said it is a fact that AICC leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul insulted Singh on several occasions.
“It is unfortunate that the Congress party has used Singh’s death for politics. This reflects that the Congress party is devoid of culture,” the BJP leader said.
Reddy said as soon as the news of Singh’s death broke out, PM Modi took a decision to conduct his last rites with the highest honours.
It was also announced that the Central government would build a memorial in Singh’s name, he further said.
The union minister claimed that everybody knows how the Congress party has behaved towards its leaders, such as P V Narasimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee.
“The Congress party is shedding crocodile tears. Sonia Gandhi and her family members have insulted and disrespected Singh. We all know that,” he said. Rahul tore an ordinance brought out by the then Manmohan Singh government publicly in the presence of the media, terming it “Bakwaas”. He alleged that while various state governments declared seven days of mourning, Rahul left for Vietnam to celebrate New Year.
