Smriti Irani asked him whether his 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' included the killing of Sikhs, kidnapping of women in Rajasthan, and denouncing the Hindu way of life. Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday slammed former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for saying he was spreading love to counter the hatred by the BJP and the RSS. Gandhi, who is currently in the US for a 10-day visit, recently addressed an event in America titled: 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan'.
However, today, Smriti Irani asked him whether his 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' included the killing of Sikhs, kidnapping of women in Rajasthan, and denouncing the Hindu way of life.
"When you talk about 'Mohabbat', does that include the killing of Sikhs? When you talk about 'Mohabbat', does that include the kidnapping of women in Rajasthan? When you talk about 'Mohabbat', does that include denouncing the Hindu way of life? When you talk about 'Mohabbat', does it mean partnering with those who want to bring India to a standstill? When you talk about 'Mohabbat', does that 'Mohabbat' compel you to go seek outside intervention against your own democracy? Ye kaisa ishq hai jo desh se nahi apni politial siyasat se hai?" she asked.
Gandhi recently addressed a series of events in the US, where he targeted the BJP and RSS. He also said that democracy was under threat, institutions were being misused, and the minority was being targeted in India.
Addressing an Indian diaspora in New York, Gandhi on Monday said the BJP and the RSS were incapable of looking at the future. "That is the phenomena of Narendra Modi Ji. He is trying to drive the Indian car and he only looks in the rear-view mirror and then he doesn’t understand why this car is crashing, not moving forward and it is the same idea with the BJP, with the RSS," he said.
Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that Gandhi is habitual of criticising the country whenever he goes abroad. He said he has no problem with what Gandhi does in India but it is not in India's national interest to take it abroad. "Rahul Gandhi is habitual of criticising the country whenever he goes abroad. I don't have a problem with what he does in India but it is not in India's benefit to take it abroad," Jaishankar said.
Earlier this week, Sam Pitroda, the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, triggered a controversy by saying that everyone in India is talking about temples but temples are not going to create jobs. "We have a problem with unemployment, inflation, education, and health. No one talks about these things. But everyone talks about Ram, Hanuman, and mandir. I have said that temples are not going to create jobs," Pitroda said while addressing the Indian diaspora in New York.
Reacting to this comment, which was made in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, BJP's IT Cell Head Amit Malviya said Pitroda's intention was to spew venom on Hindus and denigrate temples and it was made perhaps to please the coordinators of the program in New York and the audience they may have drawn in. Malviya also targeted Gandhi and said Pitroda spoke for him, whose studied silence was an endorsement of the Hinduphobic diatribe.