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Journalism of Courage
A day after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was convicted to two years of jail by a Surat court over his alleged “Modi surname” remark in 2023, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensified its attack accusing the leader of showing a “casteist mindset” and that it “disgraced an entire OBC Community”.
Alleging that Gandhi had compared the OBC community to thieves, BJP national president JP Nadda, said, “By comparing OBC communities to thieves, Rahul Gandhi has shown a pathetic and casteist mindset. However, his latest tirade is not surprising. For the last many years, he has always reduced levels of political discourse.”
In a series of tweets amid a political fight between the BJP and the Congress, Nadda alleged that “lies, personal slander and negative politics is integral” to his politics.
Nadda said that Gandhi had a big ego but little understanding and has been insulting the OBC community by not apologising for “Modi surname” remark despite the court order. He said Gandhi repeatedly ignored suggestions from the court and the community to tender an apology for his comments. The entire Other Backward Classes will avenge this insult in a democratic manner, he added.
People’s “punishment” to him will be more severe in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls than in 2019 when he lost in Amethi and the Congress was routed nationally, the BJP leader said.
“His negative politics and cooked-up Rafale scam faced a setback in the court of law. Our highest court of the land, the Honourable Supreme Court gave a very clear verdict on the Rafale issue and did not believe the corruption bogey Gandhi raised,” the leader added.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju said just because Rahul Gandhi insulted Indian democracy, the armed forces and India’s institutions, all Gandhi surnames can’t be blamed. “Shockingly, some Congress leaders are trying to defend it!,” Rijiju tweeted.
Meanwhile, speaking outside the Parliament, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Prahalad Joshi said Gandhi had not apologised for insulting the OBC community despite being given a chance. “Against whom is the Congress party protesting? Rahul Gandhi insulted the OBC community and did not apologise even after being given a chance. Now his party is protesting against the judiciary”.
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav too hit out at the Congress for raising questions on the Gujarat court’s conviction and asked if they (the party) consider themselves above the law of the land.
Yadav, a prominent OBC leader, noted that the court convicted Gandhi following due process of law.
“Are Congress party and Rahul Gandhi higher than the law of the country?…Is it a national leader’s job to abuse and insult a surname of the OBC society?” the senior BJP leader asked at a press conference “I believe Congress party and Rahul Gandhi are guilty of hurling abuse at the entire OBC community in the country,” he said news agency PTI reported, adding, “Everybody should respect the court verdict”.
Hitting back at the BJP, the Congress accused the ruling party of defending the likes of fugitives Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, and indulging in “caste politics”.
Kharge, in a tweet in Hindi, said, “Modi government cannot escape from JPC! Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, and Mehul Choksi fled with the money of PNB and the public. OBCs did not do so, then how were they insulted?” “SBI/LIC suffered losses due to your ‘best friend’!” he said slamming the government.
“‘Ek toh chori mein sahyog phir jatigat rajneeti ka prayog’ (First providing help in stealing then applying caste politics),” Kharge said and termed it “shameful”.
“They are talking of insult to backward classes. The Congress has always stood with and fought for the backward classes, scheduled castes and minorities. These people who believe in Manu, talk of backward classes,” he added. Kharge said his party is seeking answers as to who ran away with people’s money, while the BJP is trying to distract from the main issue, news agency PTI reported.
Congress MP and party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Nadda was distorting facts and indulging in “politics of defamation”. In a tweet in Hindi, he said, “By doing he is defending Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi. This truth had to come out and now it has come out. Thank you Nadda ji for your honesty. Now please show some honesty on Adani too”.
Ramesh also hit out at Bhupender Yadav and said that the minister should spend more time “implementing environment and forest laws without fear or favour”.
The case filed by former Gujarat minister and BJP MLA from Surat West Purnesh Modi pertains to the alleged remarks Gandhi made on April 13, 2019, at a Lok Sabha election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar where he said, “Why all the thieves have Modi in their names whether be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, and Narendra Modi?”
The order was pronounced by Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Verma. Gandhi was present inside the courtroom on Thursday afternoon along with several national and state Congress leaders. The Surat police had increased security arrangements in the court campus to prevent untoward incidents.
