Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday left for Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra to fulfil his mannat (wish) made during his Karnataka poll campaign this year even as the Congress did not disclose the route taken by its leader on his pilgrimage. But the BJP said Rahul was flying to Nepal from where he would go to China, resulting in an exchange of political war of words.
The BJP claimed the Congress president wanted the Chinese ambassador to give him a ceremonial see-off before he left for the pilgrimage and accused him of holding the brief for China everywhere like a “Chinese spokesperson”.
To BJP’s pincer attack, the Congress responded by asking why the BJP was disturbed by its leader’s trip to Kailash Mansarovar.
“Why is the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi so perturbed by Rahul Gandhi’s trip to Kailash Mansarovarij Do they not know where Kailash Mansarovar isij Do they not know that Kailash Mansarovar is in the autonomous region of Tibet, China,” asked Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.
“Rahul Gandhi is a Shiv bhakt. The BJP is narrating a convoluted story about Rahul’s connection with China. Does Rahul Gandhi need PM Modi’s permission now to undertake the journey to lord Shiva’s abodeij Does the PM consider himself mightier than the lord,” he countered.
The ruling party asked why Rahul was praising the Dragon at the cost of the Elephant.
“Ye rishta kya kehlata haiij” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra quipped and sought Rahul to explain his ‘love’ for China. “We are not questioning his (Rahul’s) faith but the special relationship that he and his family has with China must be explained. During the Beijing Olympics, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka and Robert Vadra were special invitees,” Patra said.
The BJP leader claimed that the Chinese ambassador had sought required permission from the India Government to give the Congress leader a ceremonial see off but it did not respond to his letter.
“You are Rahul Gandhi not Chinese Gandhi. Why should the Chinese ambassador want to see off a non-Chinese personij There is no such protocol,” Patra told a Press conference.
Patra also slammed Rahul Gandhi for describing Doklam stand-off as ‘Dhokhalam’. “During his recent Europe tour, he was asked about the Doklam issue. Rahul refused to comment saying he has no knowledge about it. When you had no knowledge about it then how did you made such a serious allegation on the Governmentij” Patra asked.
The BJP spokesperson wanted to know from the Congress as to which politicians and officials Gandhi will meet during his visit to China, “his favourite country”.
Patra did not comment on Rahul’s pilgrimage, saying it is a personal visit. ‘Kailash Mansarovar’ region falls in China.
In the Press conference, the BJP also played a video clip of several comments made by Rahul in which he highlights achievements of the neighbouring country, and alleged that the Congress president acts like a “Chinese spokesperson”.
“Addiction, obsession or something else” was the video’s title.
During the Doklam standoff between India and China, Rahul had met the Chinese ambassador to understand the Chinese perspective without taking the Indian government into confidence or seeking to know Indian perspective, he said.
He also mentioned Gandhi’s claim that China gives 50,000 jobs to its people every 24 hours while India could employ only 450 persons everyday and termed them as “comic figures”.
“Why he is holding brief for China everywhere as if he is a hired man to advertise China,” Patra said.