‘Meaningless talk about my husband is painful’
With her family under fierce attack from the BJP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday vowed to fight back with increased determination, claiming she was deeply hurt by a concerted attack on her husband Robert Vadra.Breaking her silence on the allegations about Robert Vadra’s “dubious” land deals, Priyanka said her husband was being targeted for political reasons and asserted that her resolve to fight back will increase the more the opponents attack.
Campaigning for her mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Raebareli, she said Vadra was being attacked by the BJP to divert the attention of people from the development issues to “meaningless talk” and that the “truth” about her husband will prevail.
“When you watch TV, what do you seeIJ Harsh words ridiculing my family. A lot of things are said about my husband. I feel pained. I feel pained, not for myself, not because somebody is ridiculing and the truth is not being told, not because everyday I tell my children that the truth will prevail,” she said.
lamenting about the kind of prevailing political discourse in this election, Priyanka said, “I am pained that while this election should have been contested on development, needs of the people, employment for youth... instead, an attempt is being made to mislead you towards meaningless talk.”
later, she told reporters that they have used her husband for political attack. “It has been going on for two years, which I feel very strongly about,” she added. Invoking Indira Gandhi, Priyanka said she had learnt from her grandmother how to fight back as “truth is like a shield”. Deploring the politics of divisiveness, Priyanka said India was known for its tolerance since it is the land of the Buddha and Mahatama Gandhi. “The country has accepted her mother Sonia, who was not born here, but now attempts are being made to inject poison,” she said.
Opp attacking Vadra for political gain: Priyanka
“Do you want a country of the Buddha and Mahatama Gandhi where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians live together or a country where you fight one another and one community is taken forward while another is left behind and division is created in terms of caste and religion,” she asked.
She said she was confident that people of the constituency would vote for Sonia as she had always fought for them, which they are “aware of”.Priyanka told the gathering that she was sure that people would do so not just because they were connected with her family but because they knew of her work. “My mother has always been with you through your struggles and you too have been with her through her struggles,” she said.
“The affection we get from you is sufficient. I believe that you (people) will support Soniaji, but I want that you vote for the country,” she said.Priyanka said that Sonia has ensured development of Rae Bareli and this would continue in the same manner.Hours after Priyanka’s outbursts, the BJP responded with a sharper attack that referenced a two-year-old controversy over her husband’s comments on “mango people”.
“Those in public life are often hurt with charges. May we ask Priyanka Gandhi where were the emotions when Vadra talked about the mango peopleIJ” BJP leader Nirmala Sitaraman said.“Could she not give good counsel to her husband about what he said, that these mango people were the people of the country, who are asking questionsIJ” she said, referring to Vadra’s much-debate Facebook post two years ago - “Mango people in banana republic”.