Cong blasts govt for asking Priyanka to vacate Delhi home, calls it hateful

The Congress on Wednesday hit back at the BJP-led Centre, terming the Union government's decision to ask Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to vacate her Lodhi Estate bungalow as a "frustrated attempt".

Taking to Twitter, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "PM, Sh. Narendra Modi & his Govt are blinded by rage, hatred and revenge against the Congress leadership. Unnerved by political activism of Priyanka ji in UP, Modi Govt has stopped even further by issuing house vacation notice. Such frustrated attempts will not deter us."

Surjewala is not the first Congressman to react to the news. Jitin Prasada, a Congress working committee member, said, "I fail to understand the timing of the government's actions. However, Priyanka Gandhi is on a mission to fight and work for the people of UP and is unfazed and not bothered by these diversionary tactics."

The government on Wednesday asked Priyanka, a Congress General Secretary, to vacate her government accommodation at 35 Lodhi Estate within a month since she is no longer a Special Protection Group (SPG) protectee.

After being served the eviction notice by the government, sources close to Priyanka said that she would vacate the house within the stipulated time period.

Hitting back at the government, Congress leader and All India Mahila Congress President Sushmita Dev said that the government, consciously, had issued a notice to Priyanka Gandhi to vacate her accommodation.

"I have to say that there was a time when the rumours were going around that Priyanka will be a Rajya Sabha MP and was one of the reasons she wanted to stay in her bungalow. But she proved all those speculations wrong, said Dev.

"Let us not forget that she did not take a bungalow with any sense of entitlement, she took it because of security reasons. I believe that she has never taken undue advantage of any situation, " Dev added.

She further added, "I hope she is safe. Although, it is not easy to move out of the house in the middle of the pandemic. But she proved to be quite a woman of substance and she will pull through this moment as well. I wish her well."

Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said, "House was allotted to them because of security reasons, they had received massive threats."

"After Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi incident, you can see they were facing severe threats. As a result, the house was allotted to them, " Shukla added.

Another Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said in a tweet, "BJP party's priority list. Before evicting the Chinese intruders who have not only occupied strategic heights in Ladakh but also, killed our soldiers dastardly, evicting Priyanka Gandhi from her bungalow is more important."

Talking on the same, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said the Central Government should reinstate her SPG cover and restore her accommodation in view of the threat perception which she continues to have as a member of the Gandhi family.

"Political considerations and differences cannot and should not be allowed to come in the way of ensuring fool-proof security and safety of any person, especially when that person belongs to a family that had lost two members to terror attacks," said Singh.

(With imputs from ANI & IANS)