New Delhi, Oct 6 — Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi over his "dalali" barb at Narendra Modi, BJP today called his remarks "a new low in Indian politics" and said he was speaking in "frustration" as the prime minister was drawing "praise" after he gave nod to the army to carry out the surgical strikes.
"It is most shameful. Such remarks reflect his mental bankruptcy. The army and the prime minister are getting praise from everywhere for the surgical strikes. Modi is being praised for his decision and he is unable to digest it. Rahul Gandhi is in frustration," BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said.
Another party national secretary Sidharth Nath Singh said, "His statement is a new low in Indian politics. It is not only condemnable but highly irresponsible coming from the vice president of Congress party which fought for independence. Surgical strikes happened across the LoC but Rahul Gandhi has done surgical strike on his party."
Taking a jibe at Gandhi, Sharma said "dalali" is in his and the Congress' nature as he referred to a number of alleged scams, like 2G, CWG, coal, involving the UPA government, which, he added, ran into Rs 12 lakh crore. Gandhi, too, is on bail in the National Herald scam of Rs 5,000 crore, he alleged.
Referring to controversial comments of some Congress leaders, including Sanjay Nirupam, Sharma said the Opposition is confused as it had been attacking Modi after the Pathankot and Uri terror attacks and do not know how to react after he ordered the surgical strikes.
Congress and other political parties may be nervous because of the courage and will power shown by the Modi government in backing the armed forces' decision to go for surgical strike across LoC. The aim of a responsible government is to back the armed forces which defend the nation and not use them for political gains, Singh said.
Terming Gandhi's Kisan Yatra in Uttar Pradesh as a "flop drama", Sharma said the governments run by Gandhi family members did nothing for either farmers or youths and have the "blot" of suicides committed by lakhs of farmers.
Modi is solving the problems inherited from successive Congress governments and has come out with schemes like crop insurance and soil health card to help farmers.
"The Modi government has offered salve to the wounds inflicted by Congress governments," he said.
Addressing a public meeting, Gandhi had earlier said, "Jinhone Hindustan ke liye surgical strike kiye hain, unke khoon ke peeche aap chhupe hain. Unki aap dalali kar rahe ho. (You [Modi] are hiding behind the blood of soldiers who carried out the surgical strikes for India. You are exploiting their sacrifices.)
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