Sitharaman attacks Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on RSS and BJP

PTI, Jan 15, 2025, 4:02 PM IST

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New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday lashed out at Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks that the Opposition is not only fighting BJP and RSS but also the “Indian state itself.” She wondered why Gandhi has been carrying the Indian Constitution in his hand.

“The LoP, who was sworn in by taking oath on the Constitution, is now saying, “We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian State itself,” she said in a post on X.

“So, @INCIndia and @RahulGandhi, what for are you carrying a copy of the constitution in your hand?,” she wondered.

Addressing party leaders after the inauguration of the Congress’ new headquarters at 9A, Kotla Road here earlier in the day, Gandhi said, “Do not think that we are fighting a fair fight. There is no fairness in this. If you believe that we are fighting a political organisation called the BJP, that we are fighting a political organisation called the RSS, you have not understood what is going on.

“The BJP and the RSS have captured every single institution of our country. We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian state itself,” he said.

In his remarks, Gandhi said, “I clearly stated that something went wrong in the Maharashtra elections. We are uncomfortable with the way the Election Commission operates. The sudden appearance of almost one crore new voters between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra is problematic”.

Gandhi said it is the Election Commission’s duty to provide a voters’ list with names and addresses of those who voted in the Vidhan Sabha election.

However, the commission has refused to provide this information, he said.

“Why would the Election Commission refuse to make the voters’ list transparent? What purpose does it serve by not providing us with the list, and why are they withholding it? It is the Election Commission’s duty to provide transparency, and it is their sacred responsibility to explain why this has happened,” he said.

“This is something that every Congressman and every opposition member must keep in mind. There is a serious problem with our election system, and it is the Election Commission’s duty to be transparent,” he said.