Rahul comes in firing line of BJP for Bengaluru barbs

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday came in the firing line of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his barbs against the saffron brigade.

Gandhi scion in Bengaluru slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Centre while digging out issues including Rohith Vemula suicide case, Dadri lynching case and demonetisation drive.

The BJP leaders questioned Rahul Gandhi's leadership abilities and attacked the functioning of Congress party.

Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said Rahul Gandhi is sure shot route for achieving BJP's Congress Mukt Bharat (Congress Free India) aim.

"If there is one leader who has not been told the reality that is staring on the face of Congress then that is Rahul Gandhi. He has failed his party repeatedly elections after elections," said Rao.

Union Agriculture Minister Giriraj Singh took a dig at the way of Congress' functioning while castigating Rahul Gandhi.

"Congress does not appear to be a democratic party because of its hierarchical and dictatorial politics. Today, Congress is on the verge of collapse because of its dictatorial politics," Giriraj said.

He further added that Congress should introspect why its numbers in the Parliament have reduced to below 50.

Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani mocked Rahul for 'all that he does.'

Smriti took to Twitter to show her sarcastic side and tweeted "However, thank you @officeofRG for all that you do. Sincerely from the BJP!???? (sic)".

Rahul was in Bengaluru on Friday to address Dr.B.R. Ambedkar International Conference.

He used the platform to mount a scathing attack on PM Modi, RSS and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

Raising the Rohith Vemula suicide case, the Congress vice president said that he didn't commit suicide and was murdered for being a Dalit.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD student at the University of Hyderabad, allegedly committed suicide last year that sparked a nationwide outrage.

Vemula's suicide gained widespread media attention as an alleged case of discrimination against Dalits.

The Congress vice-president also targetted the Centre by raising the Dadri lynching case.

"Mohammad Akhlaq was butchered because they say he stole a calf. It was a lie. Instead of questioning his (Akhlaq) brutal killing they asked whether the meat in the fridge was mutton or beef," he added.

Last year, a mob of villagers attacked a 52-year-old man named Muslim man Mohammed Akhlaq, who they suspected of stealing and slaughtering a stolen cow calf, in Bisara village near Dadri, Uttar Pradesh.

Akhlaq died in the attack, and his son, Danish, was seriously injured.

Rahul also alleged that most of the institutions in the country have been captured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the bureaucrats and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Gandhi also took a dig at the Centre over its demonetisation drive which was introduced on 8 November last year.

"Publicly they called it a stroke of genius and privately they called it insanity," he said.

Without naming PM Modi, the Congress vice president said, "The emperor is completely naked but nobody around him has the courage to tell him.