What's the problem, asks BC Khanduri on his son joining Congress

Dehradun, Mar 16: Former Uttarakhand chief minister BC Khanduri, whose son Manish Khanduri joined the Congress, on Saturday asked why questions are being raised about his son joining the grand old party, adding, "He will go wherever he wants."

Many media reports dubbed it as an embarrassment to the BJP. Rahul Gandhi even tried to corner the BJP over Manish joining the Congress. Gandhi alleged that BC Khanduri was removed as the chairman of defence committee of Parliament by PM Modi for asking a question on national security.

"He is an educated young man. He will go wherever he wants. I fail to understand why questions are being raised. It's not that he has to follow me everywhere. I contributed to BJP, not him. He was never in BJP," BC Khanduri told ANI.

After joining Congress today in presence of party chief Rahul Gandhi, Manish Khanduri said, "I believe that under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, Congress will make country stronger. Before coming here, I sought blessings of my father. He asked me if I can walk on path of truth. I replied yes."

Khanduri Sr is a sitting Lok Sabha member from Pauri, from where the Congress is expected to field his son this time.

[Former Uttarakhand CM's son joins Congress]

Manish's sister Ritu Khanduri is a BJP legislator from Yamkeshwar seat which falls in Pauri Lok Sabha, the family's bastion. In the 2014 elections, she had won with a margin of over 20,000 votes. Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri and senior BJP leader Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, also a former Chief Minister, from the state have expressed his inability to contest 2019 Lok Sabha elections.