“The Man Who Ran To Kerala…”: BJP Leaders Hit Out At Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram:

Senior BJP leaders, together with social gathering chief JP Nadda and Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, lashed out at Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday evening, accusing the Congress MP of disrespecting north Indians, and searching for to “divide and rule”, throughout an election rally in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram.

Mr Gandhi, who’s within the southern state to marketing campaign forward of Meeting polls due in a couple of weeks, had mentioned: “For first 15 years I was a MP in the north. So I had got used to a different type of politics. Coming to Kerala was very refreshing as suddenly I found that people are interested in issues… and not just superficially, but going into details.”

“And recently I was telling students that I really enjoy Kerala and Wayanad. Its is not just affection but it is the way you do your politics. There is intelligence with which you do your politics,” he added.

For the primary 15 yrs, I used to be an MP in north. I had bought used to a distinct kind of politics. For me, coming to Kerala was very refreshing as instantly I discovered that individuals are all for points & not simply superficially however going into element in points: Rahul Gandhi, in Trivandrum pic.twitter.com/weBG2T1WAf

— ANI (@ANI) February 23, 2021

Mr Gandhi is at the moment the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad.

He was earlier a three-term MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi – a Gandhi household stronghold that was flipped by the BJP’s Smriti Irani within the 2019 election. He contested from each Kerala and UP and solely retained his MP standing after successful within the southern state.

Mr Gandhi might have considered his feedback as complimenting the political nous of the folks of the state, the place the Congress-led UDF is the first opposition and has been fiercely focusing on the ruling Left alliance on a number of points, together with corruption and unemployment.

Nevertheless, the BJP was fast to hit again at his remarks, with some criticising Mr Gandhi for attempting to “divide” the nation and others for operating down north Indians after they voted him out.

Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, whose father – Okay Subrahmanyam, a former civil servant – was from Tamil Nadu, referred to his pan-India upbringing and mentioned “India is one… never divide us”.

“I hail from the south. I am an MP from a western state. I was born, educated and worked in the north. I represented all of India before the world. India is one. Never run down a region; never divide us,” he tweeted.

I hail from the South.

I’m an MP from a Western state.

I used to be born, educated and labored within the North.

I represented all of India earlier than the World.

India is one.
By no means run down a area; by no means divide us.

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 23, 2021

BJP chief JP Nadda provided a scathing retort, tweeting: “A few days back he was in the northeast, spewing venom against the western part of India. Today in the south he is spewing venom against the north. Divide and rule politics won’t work… People have rejected this politics. See what happened in Gujarat today!”

A couple of days again he was within the Northeast, spewing venom in opposition to the western a part of India.

At the moment within the South he’s spewing venom in opposition to the North.

Divide and rule politics will not work, @RahulGandhi Ji!

Folks have rejected this politics. See what occurred in Gujarat at present!

— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) February 23, 2021

Mr Nadda was referring to native physique elections in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s house state, during which the BJP is ready to assert an amazing victory; the ruling social gathering was successful in over 400 of 474 contested seats as counting progressed by way of Tuesday night.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan additionally tweeted, mocking Mr Gandhi for claiming to welcome issue-based politics after failing to grasp the “pulse of your family’s pocket-borough (Amethi)”.

“So, Rahulji thinks that people in the north are not interested in issue-based politics? They were not interested in your empty promises, Rahulji. You couldn’t understand the pulse of the people from your family’s pocket-borough even after representing it for 15 years,” he tweeted.

“Like Amethi was awash with saffron when the people realised your bluff, a day will come soon enough when even people in Kerala will make you run away,” he added.

Like Amethi was awash with saffron when the folks realised your bluff, a day will come quickly sufficient when even folks in Kerala will make you run away.

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) February 23, 2021

Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Gajendra Singh Shekawat additionally hit out at Mr Gandhi.

Mr Shekawat appeared to take a dig at Mr Gandhi’s Italian roots, tweeting: “North, South, East (or) West, no matter wherever you go Rahul Gandhi, you will always find Indians superficial. Because, to understand us, you have to be Indian first!”

North
South
East
West

Irrespective of wherever you go Rahul Gandhi, you’ll at all times discover Indians superficial.

As a result of, to grasp us, you need to be Indian first!

— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) February 23, 2021

Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted: “Look at his gall. The man who ran to Kerala to save his Lok Sabha seat questions the intelligence of North Indians, including those who faithfully voted for his family for generations! Fact is…he was forced to run because of non-performance and lack of development.”

As a substitute of accepting failure & ineptitude to point out outcomes he’s attempting to indicate that he modified constituencies as a result of the voters lacked intelligence!
It’s this mix of vanity & selfishness which is accountable for the state which Congress at present finds itself in.

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) February 23, 2021

Earlier at present Mr Gandhi mounted an all-out assault on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s authorities.  

Opposition Chief Ramesh Chennithala had additionally launched an offensive in opposition to the Left authorities over a MoU signed with a US firm, alleging that it will enable overseas vessels to hold out deep sea fishing in Kerala waters, thereby depriving native fishermen of revenue. 

Mr Vijayan has strongly denied this, saying that state coverage didn’t enable overseas vessels to hold out deep sea fishing in its waters. Nevertheless, a authorities order was subsequently launched, asking for the MoU relating to constructing of deep sea trawlers to be cancelled.