BJP downplays Rahul Gandhi's 'pro-builder' remark

Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday criticized Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi over his remark that the 'pro-builder' NDA regime was suppressing the middle class.

"Rahul Gandhi has the right to go anywhere and meet anyone. But governance and helping in nation's growth are serious matters," said Prasad.

"You can't just disappear for 56 days while the Parliament is on. You come one day, say something and then vanish again," he added.

The telecom minister also questioned whether Rahul Gandhi had paid a visit to his parliamentary constituency Amethi.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi met a delegation of home buyers from the Delhi-NCR region at the AICC headquarters here on Saturday, and told them that the pro-builder NDA Government's new Real Estate Bill would be countered to end existing suppression of the Indian middle class.

"I have met 100-200 people today and I have learnt that not only farmers and Adivasis, (but also) the middle class people in India too are being supressed," Gandhi told media here.

The Congress vice president said irregularities on issues like "super area" and "delivery date" existed in the new Real Estate Bill.

Facing a crunch of numbers in the Rajya Sabha, the Centre this week was forced to defer the Bill after the opposition insisted on it being referred to a select committee of Parliament.

The Bill is crucial for paving the way for construction of a large number of affordable houses. The BJP-led NDA government has promised houses for all by 2022.