BJP’s Retort After Rahul Gandhi Says “PM Would Start Explaining To God…”

New Delhi:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP as he addressed the Indian diaspora in the US, where he is on a six-day tour.

Addressing an audience in San Francisco, Rahul Gandhi said PM Modi “would start explaining to God how the universe works” as “some people believe they know everything”. In a sharp rebuttal, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said the Congress leader “couldn’t digest” the praise and appreciation for PM Modi during his recent foreign visits.

In his first speech on a three-city visit, Rahul Gandhi said he launched the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ because all instruments of doing politics (connecting with people) were “being controlled”.

“Some months ago, we started a walk from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. While walking we realised that normal instruments for doing politics (connecting with people) were not working anymore. They were controlled by the BJP and RSS. People are threatened and agencies are used against them. In some way, it had become quite difficult to act politically. That is why we decided to walk from the southernmost tip of India to Srinagar,” the Congress leader said at an event titled ‘Mohabbat ki Dukaan’ on Wednesday.

In a caustic comment apparently directed at PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi said, “Some groups in India are under the impression that they know everything. In India, we grew up with people of different languages, different religions. And that is what is being attacked. The tradition in India, of people like Gandhi Ji and Guru Nanak Ji, has been that you should not be under the impression of knowing everything. It is a ‘disease’ that some groups of India think that they know everything. Even if they have a conversation with God, they might explain to him.”

He continued, “And of course, the Prime Minister is one of them. If you make him sit with God, he would start explaining to him (God) how the universe works…and God would get confused about what I had created. They (BJP) can speak to scientists and explain science to them. They can explain history to historians, warfare to the army and flying to the air force. But at the heart of it, they don’t know anything.”

The comments drew a sharp response from the ruling party. Union Minister Anurag Thakur accused the Congress leader of insulting India during his visits abroad.

“During his foreign visits, Rahul Gandhi insults India, which is unacceptable. He wants to insult PM Modi but ends up insulting India, questioning India’s progress. He is trying to tarnish India at a time the world is acknowledging our growing stature,” Mr Thakur said.

“PM Modi met almost 24 PMs and Presidents of the world and held over 50 meetings during his foreign visit recently. Several world leaders say Modi is the most popular leader. When the Australian PM said ‘PM Modi is the Boss’, Rahul Gandhi could not digest this,” added the Union Minister.