Indian citizens more mature than Rahul: BJP

As political slugfest intensifies in the name of the Alok Verma-Rakesh Asthana case, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday quipped that Indian citizens are more mature than Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, "Indian citizens are more mature than Rahul Gandhi. He lives in a hallucination. The country has never witnessed such immature politics."

Continuing his tirade against the Congress, Javadekar said that Gandhi is living in hallucination and manufactures false statements every day. The BJP leader further said that Rahul's claim of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana being "removed" from their respective posts is a blatant lie.

"The Congress keeps dreaming about Rafale all the time. They just spread lies. What do they mean that the CBI director was removed because he was investigating the Rafale case? This is completely false. Those who misused the CBI, they are blaming the government today. The Congress has become completely pessimistic. Rahul Gandhi is manufacturing lies every day," he said.

He further said the Gandhi scion has failed in his press conference held earlier in the day on the basis of matter, manner, and method.

"Claims by Gandhi that the CBI top brass was sent on leave because they were about to investigate on Rafale case is a big lie. Gandhi is regretting that why the Rafale deal did not conclude during the Congress tenure," he stated.

Earlier in the day, Rahul, during a press conference, linked the relieving of CBI Director Alok Verma with the alleged Rafale probe, which, he claimed, was about to be conducted by the central probe agency.

"I want to question the timing. The main reason for this is that the CBI was going to begin an investigation into the role of the Prime Minister on Rafale and the corruption that was carried out by the Prime Minister in Rafale. Prime Minister removed CBI director in panic. He is scared that he indulged in corruption and he could get caught," he had told media.

Rahul later asserted that the CBI director has been sent on indefinite leave as the Prime Minister cannot remove him without consulting the Chief Justice and Leader of the Opposition.

Meanwhile, CBI official spokesperson on Thursday confirmed that Alok Verma will continue to remain CBI Director, Rakesh Asthana to remain Special Director. M Nageshwar Rao will look after duties and functions of the CBI Director in the interim period till the time CVC looks into the allegations, it said.