“BJP misinterpreted Rahul Gandhi’s statement to instigate people against him”: Congress leader Ashok Gehlot

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], September 13 (ANI): Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Friday slammed the BJP for criticising Rahul Gandhi’s statement in the US on reservation and said the BJP was attempting to wrongly interpret the remarks of the Leader of the Opposition and instigate people against him.

Gehlot, further said that the BJP is frustrated by Rahul Gandhi’s performance, which is why they are trying to instigate people against him by misinterpreting his statements given in the US.

Speaking to ANI, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot said, “These people have damaged Rahul Gandhi’s image for a long time now. Now that Rahul Gandhi has become the LoP and the way his performance has been, they are frustrated. During Rahul Gandhi’s US visit, he said something else and it is interpreted as something else.

But the public understands everything and they are not going to fall for this. The main thing is that the situation created in the country against Rahul Gandhi in the last three days, they (BJP) will not succeed in tarnishing it. Rahul Gandhi’s vision of social security is understood by people and people in the country have expectations from him. That’s why they are trying to instigate people against Rahul Gandhi.”

Reacting to BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah’s statement regarding Rahul Gandhi, Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said, “One leader said that Rahul Gandhi would also have the same fate as his grandmother but the BJP chief has not said anything against it. This shows their mentality.”

Several BJP leaders, including Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, Piyush Goyal, Shobha Karandlaje, Giriraj Singh, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Shehzad Poonawala, etc. have criticised Lok Sabha LoP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his ‘reservation’ remarks.

On September 9, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, said that the Congress party will think of scrapping reservations when India becomes a “fair place,” which it is not. The Congress leader was interacting with students and faculty at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

He also reiterated the need to conduct a caste census while saying that 90 per cent of the country’s population–OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis–not having proper representation in the country is the “elephant in the room.”

“There’s an elephant in the room. When we talk about the capture of institutions, businesses, and the media, the elephant in the room is that 90 per cent of India–OBCs, Dalits, Adivasis–aren’t even part of the game. That’s the elephant in the room,” Rahul Gandhi said. He further stressed that the INDIA bloc wants to defend the Constitution and most of the alliance partners agree on holding a caste census, adding that ‘two businessmen’ should not run every business in the country.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Congress leader is defaming India on foreign soil in ‘absolutely shameful manner’. Piyush Goyal questioned Gandhi’s reasoning over his statements and accused Congress of propagating a “well-thought agenda to attack” PM Modi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that it has become a habit for the Congress leader to stand with “forces that conspire to divide the country.” Shah also stated that the BJP won’t let anyone abolish the reservation and hamper the nation’s security. He further alleged that Rahul Gandhi’s statements show his divisive policies.