Accusing the BJP of resorting to vilification, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, on Friday alleged that booklets containing “dirty material” about her family were being dumped in Amethi right before her public meetings. “Some booklets are thrown at places where my public meetings are scheduled . Dirty and false things are written about my family. If they have to say something, they should come out and talk openly. Why do it like cowards,” Ms. Vadra said in Amethi, where she is campaigning for her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Contending that the election was an ideological war, Ms. Vadra said it should be fought on principles. But the level of political campaigning had stooped down to a new low, she said.
At least two booklets are in circulation in Amethi containing highly defamatory allegations in insulting language made against Ms. Gandhi and Mr. Gandhi. One of these booklets contains articles written by BJP leader Subramniam Swamy. While one booklet is titled “Sonia ki barbarta va sajish” (Sonia's cruelty and conspiracy), the other targets Mr. Gandhi with the label “Rahul ki Ravanleela” (Rahul's Ravanleela).
BJP spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak denied that his party had any role in distributing the booklets. “We don't believe in character assassination. We don't favour it,” he said. Akhilesh Pratap Singh, Congress MLA and spokesperson, however, said the booklets contained “articles written by BJP leaders and other dirty material.” Responding to this Mr. Pathak said: “If the Congress has any complaints they can take the right route through constitutional methods. Our targeting of the Congress has only been on political issues.”
The Congress did not lodge a complaint till Friday evening. During her address, Ms. Vadra also attacked the BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for his craving for power. “ (Modi) He wants to give you strength. He also wants to give you power. There is a leader in the country, who wants power for himself. He keeps on demanding to strengthen him,” Ms. Vadra said.
