Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in a sarcastic tweet on Tuesday, mentioned “efforts to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan” among the achievements of the Narendra Modi government in the past six months even as India has been hit by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
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Though there have been several back channel efforts by senior Congress leaders including party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to placate rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot, none from the Gandhi family has spoken publicly about the Rajasthan crisis.
Breaking his silence, Mr. Gandhi blamed the BJP for trying to destablise the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan.
In a tweet in Hindi, Mr. Gandhi said: “Achievements of the government in the COVID-era: February: Namaste Trump; March: toppling the government in Madhya Pradesh; April: making people light candles; May: government’s sixth anniversary; June: Bihar virtual rally; July: Attempt to topple the government in Rajasthan.”
Tit for tat
In an equally sarcastic tweet, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar hit back and mentioned ‘Shaheen Bagh protests and riots, desertion by Jyotiraditya Scindia, defending China and the near collapse of Congress in Rajasthan’ among the Congress party’s achievements in six months.
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“Mr. Javadekar why do you bring so much pollution in politics when you are the country’s environment minister. You should end pollution but every statement of yours is harsh. Instead of criticising Rahul ji, you should tackle the challenges that the country faces now,” senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal retorted in a video message.
“You mentioned Shaheen Bagh... I am sure you will know better because the police is accused of breaking CCTV cameras... The Prime Minister had talked of ending COVID in 21 days but it didn’t end. And as far as China is concerned, whatever our Prime Minister is saying, Chinese President Xi [Jinping] was saying the same thing: that none occupied our land while the Indian Ambassador to China said something else,” Mr. Sibal said, adding that “you [the BJP] only knows how to attack the Opposition but does not know how to run the country”.
