Congress slams PM Modi’s ‘Babri lock’ claim, calls it ‘absolute lie’

PTI, May 9, 2024, 6:05 PM IST

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Thursday termed as ”absolute lie” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that her party will put a ”Babri lock” on the Ram temple in Ayodhya if it is voted to power, saying court judgments will be honoured.

Prime Minister Modi had recently stated at a rally in Madhya Pradesh that he wants the BJP-led NDA to win 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls to ensure that the Congress does not bring back Article 370 in Kashmir and also put a ”Babri lock” on the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

”This is an absolute lie (”yeh ekdum jhooth hai”). The Congress party has said a number of times that it will honour the judgment of the court. We have done this (in the past), and will do so in the future,” she told reporters here.

On Modi’s Adani-Ambani jibe, she said Prime Minister Modi has been forced to take their names. She noted that Rahul Gandhi, her brother, mentions the names of Adani and Ambai in his speeches every day.

Modi had on Wednesday accused the Congress of having a nexus with ”Ambani and Adani”, and asked if the party has received ”tempo loads of black money” from the two businessmen for its leader Rahul Gandhi to stop ”abusing” them.

Priyanka Gandhi also said she wants the prime minister to read the Congress manifesto before commenting on it.

”Though he is the prime minister and elder to me… my advice is that he should first read the (Congress) manifesto, and then comment on it. He has not read it. Whatever comes to his mind, he says that it is written (in the manifesto). All the things that he is saying are written in the manifesto are (actually) not written,” she said.

To a question that Union minister Smriti Irani has said the Congress does not speak about issues, the 52-year-old Congress leader replied, ”Hum mudde per baat nahi kar rahe hain (Are we not talking on issues)? We are talking on issues. It is they who are not talking on issues. Everyday, I talk on issues, be it inflation or unemployment. Who in the BJP is talking about these? No one,” she said.

On a question pertaining to the rise in the population of the Muslims, Priyanka Gandhi the ‘dharma’ of the media should be to talk about issues related to the lives of the public, at least during the elections. The issues are unemployment, inflation, atrocities on women and why farmers are unable to earn from farming, she said.

As a reporter took the name of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, she shot back, saying, ”Are you stuck on the same thing? I am telling you again and again that Asaduddin Owaisi ji is working directly with the BJP. Wherever the BJP feels, he (Owaisi) fields someone (candidates) to push back other parties. This has been proved during the elections in Telangana.” On the BJP fielding Karan Bhushan Singh, son of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chairperson and sitting MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, from Kaisarganj Lok Sabha seat, she said this proves that the BJP leaders cannot stand with the women, because when the female wrestler brought an Olympic medal, then at that time, Modi had tea with her and he also got photos clicked with her.

”The entire media had said ‘Modiji hain to mumkin hai’. But when that female (wrestler) sat on the road, staged a protest, and said atrocities were committed on her, nobody even asked (about her well-being). She was crying,” Priyanka Gandhi said.

So if the BJP leaders says they will provide reservation for women, it is a a ”chunaavi jumlaa” (poll rhetoric), she said.

On a question that she (Priyanka Gandhi) seeks votes in the name of martyrdom attained by her family members, she said the BJP wants that she should remain silent about her family or feel ashamed of them. She asked why should she feel so. In fact, she feels proud about her family. She feels proud that Indira Gandhi did so much for the country by dividing Pakistan and forming Bangladesh. She feels proud of her martyrdom, the Congress leader said.

Priyanka Gandhi also said she feels proud of her father Rajiv Gandhi’s martyrdom. She asked why should she not speak, remain silent and allow abuses to be hurled at her family members.

”And they (apparently the BJP) will say throughout the day that a martyr like Indira ji was a traitor, a martyr like Rajiv ji was a traitor. How will I remain silent? She was my grandmother, he was my father,” she said.

Referring to the farmers’ agitation which had taken place in Raebareli, she said the agitation took place 103 years ago.

She said the poor farmers stood against the strong power and her ancestors came here after hearing about the agitation. The beginning was made by the awareness that spread among the people of this place.

Priyanka Gandhi said her ancestors were brought to Raebareli by the people. The relationship started then and it is still intact.

”I will call this a relationship of love and respect from both the sides. We have been taught that the public is above all,” she said.

Rae Bareli will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.