Pune. Former Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that the person whose family and party ruled the country for a long time and made it poor is now tarnishing its image abroad. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also alleged that the Congress’s mindset is to end the reservation system in the country. Thakur was speaking to reporters on the occasion of the ‘Developed India Ambassador-Youth Connect Program’ organized at Ferguson College here.
When asked about the recent separate visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to the US, Thakur said that after Modi became the Prime Minister, the respect of the country and its 140 crore people has increased at the global level and now India is among the top five economies of the world.
He said, “But those whose family and party ruled the country for 60 years and made the country poor are now damaging the country’s image abroad.” The former minister said, “These people spread lies, do such propaganda that the country’s image gets affected. But the people of the country know who is increasing its respect and who is insulting it.” He said, “When such people insult the people of the country at the global level, people outside question whether they are from India or Pakistan.” Thakur said that the Karnataka High Court has rejected the petition filed against the sanction given by the Governor to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam and he should resign from the post of Chief Minister.
He said, “He should not remain on the post of Chief Minister till the investigation is going on. The allegations of corruption are serious.” When asked about the comments made by Rahul Gandhi on reservation and Sikh community during his US visit, Thakur said that it has been the mentality of Congress to end the reservation system in the country.
He alleged, “Whether it is (former Prime Minister) Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi and Congress, it has been their mindset to abolish reservation. Rahul Gandhi also expressed the same sentiments on foreign soil.” Thakur said that it is the Congress which spread misinformation about Sikhs because “under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi, Sikhs were killed and tortured in the country.” He said, “Now Rahul Gandhi is tarnishing the image of the country by spreading lies. Congress insulted Sikhs, while the Modi government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to get justice for the community and opened the Kartarpur corridor.”