Congress president Rahul Gandhi arrives at Raj Ghat (ExpressPhotoby Tashi Tobgyal)
The Congress’s protest fast in Delhi, however, turned controversial when images of Delhi Congress leaders eating a hearty breakfast before the daylong hunger strike for communal harmony — “Sadhbavna Upvas” — at Rajghat became public, and were circulated on social media.
The BJP lost no chance in launching a scathing counter-attack and dub the Congress’s protest, in the aftermath of the violence during the April 2 Bharat Bandh called by Dalit outfits, a “farce” and “joke on Dalits”.
Taking a swipe at Rahul turning up at Rajghat at 1 pm, nearly three hours after the protest fast began at 10.30 am, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told the media at the party headquarters, “This is politics of performance versus politics of luxury. You cannot wake up in morning, cannot escape even one meal, but you claim to bring a big change…. You have played a joke on the poor and Dalits while sitting at Rajghat.”
Taking strong exception to Rahul’s remark, referring to Modi as anti-Dalit, Patra said, “It is the Congress which is anti-Dalit, and not Modi, who economically and socially empowered them with schemes such as Jan Dhan and Mudra.” Patra countered, accusing the Congress of doing politics to divide the country for its own interests.