Why Congress, BJP are fighting over new Rahul Gandhi photo
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT cell head Amit Malviya on Saturday tweeted a photo of former Congress President Rahul Gandhi—who was recently disqualified from the Lok Sabha—alleging he was at New Delhi's Italian Embassy Cultural Centre, blowing his "tapasvi image" into smithereens on Friday. However, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate was quick to slam Malviya, asking him to do "things that normal people do."
Why does this story matter?
Both BJP and Congress have been on the offensive against each other ahead of the general election next year. While the grand old party has been attacking the BJP-led central government over the Adani Group-Hindenburg Research issue, the saffron brigade has been demanding an apology from Gandhi in the Parliament for his allegedly controversial remarks on Indian democracy in the United Kingdom (UK).
Details on Malviya's post on Gandhi
Claiming that the said picture of Gandhi was clicked on Friday, BJP leader Malviya wrote on Twitter, "Why is the Congress in a twist after this picture of Rahul Gandhi (from the Italian Cultural Center dated 07th Apr) found its way to the public domain?" "Because it blows to smithereens his carefully crafted image of being a tapasvi (ascetic)?" he added.
Twitter post by BJP leader Malviya
Congress leader calls Malviya 'fake news peddler'
Reacting to Malviya's post, Congress leader Shrinate called the BJP leader a "fake news peddler" and asked him to go and eat at the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre someday. "There's great food at the Italian centre. Take a break from your sad life and go eat there someday. Try doing some things that normal people do - you loser," Shrinate tweeted.
Take a look at what Shrinate posted
Know about origin of this Gandhi picture
According to media reports, the photograph in question was initially posted by a journalist who came under attack from the leaders of the grand old party. The journalist claimed Gandhi was "trying to find solace at the Italian Cultural Centre" after his Lok Sabha disqualification. Notably, a Surat Court convicted Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case and awarded a two-year jail term last month.
Remarks that led to Gandhi's Lok Sabha disqualification
While attacking PM Modi in 2019 at a poll rally in Karnataka's Kolar, Gandhi remarked, "Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi... How come all the thieves have Modi as a common surname?" Surat (West) BJP legislator Purnesh Modi took offense to Gandhi's remark and filed a complaint, claiming that the Congress leader defamed the Modi community.
Malviya's earlier remarks on Gandhi
On Friday, the BJP IT cell chief reacted to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar's dismissal of the opposition's calls for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the Adani Group controversy. "NCP Chief Sharad Pawar throws Congress under the bus. Says after Supreme Court announced a committee to investigate the Adani issue, demand for JPC is irrelevant," said Malviya.
Pawar's statements triggered controversy
During an interview with NDTV, the NCP chief last week said that there was no need for a JPC probe into allegations against the Adani Group by the United States (US)-based short-seller Hindenburg Research as the Supreme Court already ordered a probe by a committee. Pawar also stated that out-of-proportion importance was given to this matter while claiming that the report appeared targeted, too.
