Arun Jaitley at Agenda Aaj Tak: Give traction to Rahul Gandhi, but vote for us

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today took potshots at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi saying his comments suggested that there is "lack of knowledge of subject."

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Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

In Short

  • Jaitley rejected reports that Rahul's rallies in Gujarat have generated new enthusiasm in Congress.
  • He also alleged that Congress began its Gujarat election campaign opposing development.
  • He further said Rahul is most consistent leader in the country in terms of failures.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today took potshots at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi saying his comments suggested that there is "lack of knowledge of subject."

Responding to queries on the stage of Agenda Aaj Tak in Ahmedabad, Arun Jaitley said, "With Rahul Gandhi's comments, I think there is a lack of knowledge of subject. And so, everything should not be taken seriously."

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Jaitley also rejected the reports that Rahul Gandhi's election rallies in Gujarat have generated new enthusiasm in the Congress. He said, "Media has created a word, traction for his election campaigns. It is said that even though they (Congress) are not getting votes, they are creating traction. I saw this during Uttar Pradesh election as well."

"Give him (Rahul Gandhi) traction (in Gujarat) but vote for us. In democracy, election matters the most," Jaitley said.

Jaitley also took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi saying that he was most consistent leader in the country in terms of failures. "In contemporary politics, there is no frontline leader of a political party, who has been so consistent in achieving so many failures. The Congress has given him promotion with every failure," Jaitley said.

'CONGRESS LED ANTI-VIKAS CAMPAIGN'

Arun Jaitley also alleged that the Congress began its Gujarat election campaign opposing development. Referring to Opposition's 'Vikas Has Gone Crazy' slogan, he said, "The Congress led an anti-vikas campaign in Gujarat. For the first time I saw a party launching an anti-development campaign. I think that was a foolish campaign. I am happy that they dropped it after 15 days or so."

"But what they did after that was more dangerous. They began a campaign that is divisive. After 1985, they used caste division as political tool. One of the achievements of the BJP after coming to power in the state has been to make Gujarat free from caste divisions," Jaitley added."This time again, the Congress wants to bring Gujarat back to same caste divisions. But, the BJP won't let it happen," Jaitley said.

JAITLEY ON HARDIK, ALPESH, JIGNESH

Arun Jaitley refuted the surmise that the youths of Gujarat were angry with the BJP as claimed by the three young leaders of the state - Hardik Patel of PAAS, OBC leader and now Congress member Alpesh Thakor, and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani.

Jaitley said, "It is very clear that their opposition is not a reflection the mood of the youths. Youths are not angry with the BJP. Some people are trying to divide Gujarat along caste lines. But, if Gujarat develops everyone benefits. If there is highway in Gujarat, no one would ask about the caste of the person driving on the road. We work for development."

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The BJP leader, however, slammed the Congress for tying up with Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani. "I have no complaint against them. I have a complaint with the national party which has mortgaged its ideology to these people. What happened to Congress's own ideology," Jaitley said.

'CONGRESS IS COPYING'

Jaitley continued his onslaught on the Congress during his interaction at the Agenda Aaj Tak saying that the Congress had been copying other political parties to gain some electoral advantage.

"The Congress thinks it can copy the BJP if its leader visits temples. It believes it can copy caste-based parties like RJD if it surrenders, mortgages its ideology to caste-based leaders of Gujarat," Jaitley said.

On a query about Congress's soft-Hindutva politics, Jaitley said, "If you say religion is private matter then who is putting it in public domain." He further said that development diluted caste identities as seen in "cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, which have been engines of growth."