Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has attacked Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the Gandhi family for exploiting the “fake” Gandhi surname to garner votes.
Mr. Yadav made the remarks at a poll rally in Guna Lok Sabha segment on Saturday. His remarks continue a war of words that began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged at a Rajasthan rally that the Congress would “deprive” women of their mangalsutras.
At poll rallies in Jalore and Banswara on April 21, Mr. Modi alleged that the Congress, if elected to power, would distribute people’s land, gold and valuables among Muslims. Citing a 2006 speech by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh he said Mr. Singh had stated that Muslims had the first claim on the country’s resources. He went on to say, “property will be distributed among those who have a large number of children... and among the intruders” by the Congress and “women will be deprived of their mangalsutra.”
Modi a gyani uncle
Hitting back at the Prime Minister on Saturday at a rally in Gujarat, Ms. Gandhi Vadra called him “liar” and said that Mr. Modi has become like those “gyani uncles” who are found at a marriage where they complain about everything and offer opinions and advice about everything.
Ms. Gandhi Vadra had earlier also said that her mother, Sonia Gandhi, had sacrificed her mangalsutra, in a reference to her father and former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination.
Mr. Yadav, later on Saturday, said that former PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s soul must be “shedding tears” as his great granddaughter does not even wear a mangalsutra despite being married.
“As per our tradition, as soon as the daughter gets married, she adds her in-laws’ surname. But these hungry-for-votes people are forgetting their surname and using Gandhi even today. How is Priyanka a Gandhi? Who knows where the family members of the real Gandhi are? They all are fake Gandhis. They just want to gather votes in the name of Gandhi,” Mr. Yadav said.
Guna will go to polls in the third phase on May 7 and the BJP has fielded Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia from the seat.
