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The ongoing war of words on Twitter between the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Amethi, Smriti Irani, over extending support to locals during lockdown took a twist on Monday when the former alleged that Irani was obstructing distribution of relief materials sent by former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for locals in an attempt to hide her failure.
The Congress alleged that Irani was unnerved with Rahul’s act of helping the people of Amethi and hence got Rahul Gandhi’s campaign office in Gauriganj raided by the Amethi district administration on Sunday.
Irani was quick to join the war on the virtual world and dumped the news of raid as fake. Instead, the Union minister charged Congressmen with unnecessarily hindering the Amethi administration in implementing lockdown and distribution of essentials to the poor and needy.
Congress MLC Deepak Singh claimed that Rahul had sent six trucks of wheat, five trucks of rice, 16,400 ration packets, 70,000 masks, 20,000 bottles of sanitisers and 20,000 soaps for the people of Amethi and party workers were distributing them. He alleged that Rahul’s initiative was being appreciated by Amethi’s people and the media and this became a thorn in the flesh for Irani and Amethi district administration.
“The BJP MP, who has been unsuccessful in hiding her failure, is now exerting pressure on administration to raid Congress office and harass party workers,” he alleged.
UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said that the Congress had a family-like relationship with Amethi and in this hour of crisis the party was serving the needy round-the-clock.
Lallu said that Amethi Congress president Pradeep Singhal was engaged in distribution of relief material and the people of Amethi were all praise for Rahul and so was the media.
“This has worried the BJP and it has been working in a vindictive manner by getting Rahul’s poll campaign office in Amethi raided and harassing party workers. An ADM quizzed Congress district chief, the office was raided despite being closed and the office watchman was threatened,” he alleged.
Lallu further alleged that Irani was disturbing relief material by misusing government machinery in a fit of frustration. .
“While the Congress denounces such autocratic acts, no one can stop us from providing relief to the poor. The people of Amethi will surely reply to the BJP government and Irani,” Lallu added.