The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday accused Rahul Gandhi of insulting Vinayak ‘Veer’ Savarkar over his comments on the latter, and said Mr. Gandhi’s behaviour reflected that it considered itself a “class apart, elite and above the Constitution”.
Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, addressing a press conference on Monday, said that neither the BJP nor the government had anything to do with Mr Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha.
“Rahul Gandhi very rightly said that he wasn’t Savarkar. If Rahul actually wishes to know Savarkar, then he must go to the Andaman Jail and spend time there to realise who Savarkar actually was and the kind of sacrifices he made,” Mr. Shekhawat said.
“The way Congress leaders are making a hue and cry over a judicial and lawful exercise itself shows that they consider the Gandhi family above India’s judicial process, the Constitution and democratic system,” he added.
Mr. Shekhawat said that the Surat court had presented Mr. Gandhi with several opportunities, including a chance to apologise for his remarks on the Modi surname, but he refused, thinking that the judiciary will not “dare” to deliver a verdict against the members of his family.
“The law has taken its course, and neither the BJP nor the government have anything to do with this,” he asserted.
Rahul Gandhi can never be Veer Savarkar even in his best dreams: Anurag Thakur
“The Gandhi family considers itself a class apart, elite and above the Constitution,” he alleged adding that the Lok Sabha enjoys no discretionary power on the issue of disqualifying an MP in such a matter.
“People who claimed that democracy is under threat, are insulting the democratic system with their street protests against a judicial verdict and lawful action,” he said.
Noting that Mr. Gandhi had also ridiculed a journalist at his press conference, Mr. Shekhawat said that “he [Mr. Gandhi] leaves no opportunity to insult the country and challenge the different pillars of democracy to show himself above them.”
Mr. Shekhawat accused Congress leaders such as Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh of insulting the Rajya Sabha chairperson with their conduct..
