NEW DELHI:
Congress
president Mallikarjun Kharge hits back at
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
for his “Daro Mat Bhago Mat” (Don’t be afraid, don’t run away) remark on
Rahul Gandhi
’s
Rae Bareli
nomination and said the “PM himself has run away to Varanasi”.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi mocked Rahul Gandhi for “dropping”
Amethi
and claimed that the Congress leader is seeking another seat due to the fear of defeat in
Wayanad
.
PM Modi said, “I had already told you that the prince is looking for another seat for himself due to fear of defeat in Wayanad. Now he had to run away from Amethi and choose the Rae Bareli seat.”.
Responding to which, Kharge said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has run away to Varanasi, ask him”. He implied that the PM has to go to his constituency, Varanasi, because he was not confident about his chances elsewhere.
Meanwhile defending Rahul, Congress said, “Rae Bareli is not a legacy but a responsibility, a duty.”
In a post on X, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote, “Many people have many opinions on the news of Rahul Gandhi contesting elections from Rae Bareli. But he is a seasoned player of politics and chess. He makes his moves after careful consideration. The party leadership has taken this decision after a lot of deliberation and strategy. This decision has devastated the BJP, its supporters and sycophants.”
He further added, “Rae Bareli has not only been Sonia ji’s seat but also Indira Gandhi’s seat. This isn’t just a legacy but a responsibility, a duty.”
The BJP,meanhile, seized the opportunity to mock Rahul Gandhi’s dual candidacies. Dushyant Kumar Gautam, the national general secretary of the BJP, didn’t mince words when asked about Gandhi contesting from Rae Bareli. He sarcastically chanted, “Bhag Rahul bhag, Rahul bhag, Rahul bhag” (run Rahul run), implying that Gandhi’s decision to contest from two constituencies reflected a lack of confidence in his prospects in Wayanad, Kerala.
“Bhag Rahul bhag, Rahul bhag, Rahul bhag (run Rahul run) — this is what will go on now,” Dushyant Kumar Gautam said. When told that Prime Minister Narendra Modi advised the former Congress leader not to flee out of fear, Gautam joked, “He’s just a youngster. We should support him.” “But the public has turned him down,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
