Martyr's son called Mir Jafar but no case filed: Priyanka Gandhi
New Delhi, March 26
At the daylong ‘Sankalp Satyagraha’ launched today to protest the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi, top Congress leaders exuded hope for electoral change and opposition unity in the run-up to six state and 2024 Lok Sabha elections even as they rejected the ruling BJP’s charge that the former Wayanad MP insulted OBCs and the country.
“Can the son of a martyr who walked thousands of kilometres from Kanyakumari to Kashmir with the message of national unity insult the country or its people?” AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, addressing the event at Rajghat where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge questioned why the BJP felt hurt over fugitive Nirav and Lalit Modi’s criticism.
Mounting a strong defence for her brother Rahul, Priyanka said he was “raising people’s voices”, and noted, “I get a sense that everything is going to change after today.”
Priyanka also said her brother, a martyr’s son, was called Mir Jafar and Pappu but there was no case. “In my brother’s case, trial, conviction, sentencing happened in a jiffy while thousands of cases linger in courts for years,” she noted.
“Time has come to raise voice against an arrogant government. If Rahul Gandhi can be barred from contesting elections for eight years, it does not bode well for the country or its democracy. Something is very, very wrong,” she cautioned.
“This country’s PM is a coward. Take me to jail but the truth is …he’s a coward…hiding behind his power and is arrogant. But this country’s tradition is that people reply to an arrogant king. This country recognises an arrogant king. This country knows the truth,” she said, invoking Lord Rama to counter dynasty politics charge.
Earlier, Kharge dismissed BJP’s accusations that Rahul had abused the OBCs. “Is Lalit Modi OBC? Is Nirav Modi OBC? Is Mehul Choksi OBC? They fled with people’s money. Why are you so pained if they are criticised? You (BJP) punish the person who works to save the country and help looters escape?” Kharge said, pledging several ‘satyagrahas’ in Rahul’s defence.
