The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Rahul Gandhi of prioritizing his New Year holiday over the mourning of Dr Manmohan Singh, India’s 14th Prime Minister. Reports claimed that Gandhi flew abroad during the seven-day mourning period following Singh’s death, sparking a political debate between the BJP and Congress.
BJP spokespersons, including IT cell chief Amit Malviya, criticized Gandhi for his foreign trip during a time of national mourning. Malviya took to social media, calling out Gandhi for being insensitive to Singh’s contributions. “While the country mourns Dr. Manmohan Singh’s death, Rahul Gandhi has flown to Vietnam to ring in the New Year,” Malviya posted. He also invoked Operation Blue Star, accusing the Gandhis of disrespecting Sikhs.
Shehzad Poonawalla, another BJP spokesperson, also condemned Gandhi’s actions. Poonawalla argued that the Congress party had consistently disrespected Dr. Singh, both during his life and after his death. He pointed out that Gandhi’s absence from the funeral rites and the denial of Bharat Ratna for Singh showed the Congress party’s lack of respect.
“They abused and insulted him during his lifetime,” Poonawalla wrote. “They continue to do so now, with no one going to collect his ashes.”
In response, Congress leaders accused the BJP of playing diversionary politics. Manickam Tagore criticized the BJP for shifting focus from the issues at hand. “When will the Sanghis stop this ‘Take Diversion’ politics?” Tagore wrote on social media. He also reminded BJP members of the controversial cremation arrangements for Dr. Singh and the alleged mistreatment of his family by BJP ministers.
Tagore also defended Rahul Gandhi’s private travel, stating that it should not be a point of concern for the BJP. “If Mr. Gandhi travels privately, why does it bother you? Get well in the New Year,” he said sarcastically.
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