Rahul Gandhi doesn’t have aptitude, interest in politics: Azad

Delhi | I have been forced to leave my home: Ghulam Nabi Azad pic.twitter.com/oK3xBwrlu9

— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2022

“What did Narendra Modi say? Congress-mukt Bharat. Those who have helped fulfill Modi’s dreams of a Congress-mukt Bharat, they are the ones who are in cahoots with him,” Azad told reporters. “And those who, after making a speech in Lok Sabha, went and hugged him and said I have nothing against you…woh mile hai ki main mila hoon (is he or am I colluding with BJP)?”

Delhi | Modi is an excuse, they have had an issue with me since the G23 letter was written. They never wanted anyone to write to them, question them… Several (Congress) meetings happened, but not even a single suggestion was taken: Ghulam Nabi Azad pic.twitter.com/gBIYPTx2IZ

— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2022

Rahul had hugged Modi in Parliament in 2018.

Singling out senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who had said Azad’s “DNA has been modi-fied”, he said Ramesh has reached this far only to plant news. Azad said, “No one knows his party’s DNA…nobody knows which state, which district he [Ramesh] is from. He should check his DNA first….he was a freelancer till some years ago…which government was he working for in 1996-1997…we were not in government then.”

Azad claimed that Ramesh used to “send slips to BJP” sitting in Rajya Sabha. “I, as the Leader of Opposition [in Rajya Sabha], am witness to the exchange of slips…. What is most unfortunate is that outsiders who do not know anything about the party, who reached here indulging in sycophancy, who had been given posts only to tweet…when he levels allegations against me…it is sad.”

#WATCH | Ghulam Nabi Azad takes jibe at Rahul Gandhi’s hug to PM Modi in Parliament, says “It’s not me who is entangled with Modi, it’s him.” pic.twitter.com/E7K4a0uBMt

— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2022

Ramesh responded by tweeting, “After such a long career, courtesy entirely the party he’s been tasked to slander, by giving interviews indiscriminately, Mr Azad diminishes himself further. What’s he afraid of that he’s justifying his treachery every minute? He can be easily exposed but why stoop to his level?”

Referring to Modi’s praise during his farewell speech for Azad in Rajya Sabha, Azad said he had assumed Modi to be a “crude man” but he displayed humanity while recalling a terror-related incident. He said “illiterate” Congress leaders had been spreading a canard against him since then but were silent on Rahul’s hug of the PM.

“I assumed that Modi-sahab was a crude man, as he did not have children or his own family… and would not care. But at least he has shown humanity,” Azad said and narrated the aftermath of the grenade explosion targeted at a Gujarat tourist bus in Kashmir in 2007.

Azad said he and Modi had both become emotional and broke down in Rajya Sabha recalling that terror incident, and not for each other.

“One should understand the context of Modi’s speech. He did not speak about me; he was talking about an incident,” Azad said.

He claimed that the Congress’s foundation has turned weak and the organisation can fall anytime but the party leadership doesn’t have the time to set things right. He also said the “ailing” party needs medicines that are being provided by compounders instead of doctors.

The Congress, he said, “is filled with illiterates…especially those doing clerical jobs and plants…”

Asked whether he would ally with the BJP in J&K, Azad said, “I cannot get BJP one extra vote in their constituencies…BJP cannot get me half a vote extra. Our constituencies are different.”

Asked about the possibility of a post-poll tie up with BJP, he said, “Who has seen post-poll? Mine is not the only party; there are other parties as well…”