Rahul Gandhi immature, Congress unlikely to progress under him: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in Maharashtra

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju interacts with the Buddhist and SC/ST communities in Pune, on Saturday. Pic/X

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is "immature" and stated that no one could become a leader by "denigrating India abroad." Rijiju was addressing a press conference in Pune when he also predicted a comfortable win for the Mahayuti alliance - comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 on November 20, news agency PTI reported. He dismissed the opposition's "fake narratives" and claimed they would fail to resonate with the electorate.

When asked about Gandhi's recent accusations that the BJP was dividing people along caste and community lines, Rijiju turned the tables and said that it was the Congress that had been engaging in divisive politics throughout the Rae Bareli parliamentarian's political career.

"Now, he stands exposed," Rijiju said, pointing to a recent rally in Nagpur where copies of the Indian Constitution with blank pages inside were distributed. "This only exposes his hypocrisy further," Rijiju added. Gandhi often shows a copy of the Constitution while alleging that BJP wants to change the Constitution and end reservations.

"I respect Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha," Rijiju continued. "But from a political standpoint, he demonstrates immaturity. The Congress has relaunched him multiple times, but he still lacks the maturity to be a leader. You cannot become a leader by running down India abroad."

Regarding the possibility of Priyanka Gandhi contesting the Wayanad bypoll in Kerala, which has sparked speculation about her elevation within the Congress party, Rijiju said, "With my experience in Parliament, I can confidently say that the Congress is unlikely to progress under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. This may be why Priyanka Gandhi is being pushed to contest elections. But one thing is clear: for the Congress, the Gandhi family comes first. For the BJP, the nation comes first."

According to PTI, Rijiju also took aim at the Congress over its treatment of Dalits and its controversial stance on Babasaheb Ambedkar. "The Congress misled Dalits during the Lok Sabha elections, but these fake narratives will not work in the assembly polls," Rijiju said. "The Congress has repeatedly insulted Dr Ambedkar by amending the Constitution drafted by him for their own convenience."

'Mahayuti will win Maharashtra polls decisively'

In another attack on the Congress, Rijiju criticised the party for its stance on Jammu and Kashmir. He referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly's resolution to restore Article 370, which granted special status to the region before it was revoked by the BJP-led government in 2019. "The Congress wants to restore Article 370, but this provision deprived citizens of reservations and other welfare benefits," Rijiju said.

The Union Minister also reaffirmed his belief that the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance would decisively win the Maharashtra Assembly elections, as the "fake narratives" of the Congress and its allies would not resonate with the people.

(With PTI inputs)