Priyanka has lowered political discourse: Jaitley

Attacking Priyanka Gandhi for her remarks comparing the BJP leaders to "panic-stricken rats", Arun Jaitley today said she has "lowered the political discourse" with her language and the Vadra family needs to be "scared of the law".

"She has compared the BJP to 'panic-stricken rats'...Mrs Vadra has lowered the quality of political discourse by her comments...If any of my family members started referring to my opponents as rats and reptiles I surely will be a worried man," the BJP leader wrote on his blog.

Priyanka had yesterday said that the BJP was "baffled and running around like rats. I knew that they will repeat their bunch of lies. There is nothing new in it but let them say whatever they want to. I am not afraid of anyone and will continue to speak against their negative, destructive and shameful politics."

On her remarks that she was not afraid of anyone, Jaitley said, "The Vadras are right that they need not be scared of anyone. They should only be scared of the law. Be the Vadras be ever so high, the law is above them. law spares none, be it the rich, the famous or the related."

The war of words between the BJP leaders and Priyanka Gandhi started yesterday when she referred to the opposition party as "panic-stricken rats" after it released a video showing alleged wrongdoings in land deals involving her husband Robert Vadra.

Jaitley said the family members of candidates are entitled to help in elections when they are preoccupied with many engagements.

"The family fills up the vacuum either in the election office or in the campaign where the candidate cannot reach. The family members are always instructed to be extra courteous and never be overbearing on political workers. They are advised not make any undignified references to political rivals," he said.

Jaitley also flayed National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah's statement that those voting for Narendra Modi should drown in the sea.

"This demonstrates Abdullah's contempt for the majority opinion. Farooq Sahib believes and rightly so that India is secular and will not accept communal politics. Where is it that secularism in India has seen the single greatest failureIJ

"The single greatest failure of secularism in India is within Farooq Sahib's own state of Kashmir. If India has witnessed an ethnic cleansing by having one community of the State, namely, the Kashmiri Pandits ejected out of the State, it has only happened in Kashmir," he said.

The BJP leader said he was glad that Abdullah says that Kashmir will not accept communal politics. "But will Kashmir offer the red carpet back for the resettlement of the Kashmiri Pandits," he asked.

Jaitley said nobody needs to jump into the sea if Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister of India "but if Farooq Sahib and his party are silent spectators, when the Kashmiri Pandits cannot go back home he should, as a gesture of repentance, at least take a dip in the Dal lake."