Cong leaders stage protest against Modi, J-K Guv for their remarks on Rajiv Gandhi

Several leaders of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress Saturday staged a protest here against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor Satya Pal Malik for their remarks on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

"We have assembled here to express our anger over the insult to the former prime minister who laid down his life for the country 28 years ago. It is most unfortunate that the state governor has joined the vilification campaign of BJP and Modi," J-K Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma told reporters.

On Thursday, the governor had said in Srinagar that Rajiv Gandhi was not initially corrupt but, under the influence of some people, he got involved in the Bofors corruption case.

During a rally in Uttar Pradesh on May 4, Modi had targeted Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, saying, "Your father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'bhrashtachari' no 1 (corrupt number 1).

Besides, Modi on Wednesday accused the Gandhi family of using warship INS Viraat as its "personal taxi" when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister.

"Over the years, the BJP left no stone unturned to implicate him (Rajiv Gandhi) but nothing could be proved against him and he came out clean in the judicial process. But the BJP continued its vilification campaign against him and entire Gandhi family, till date which is abuse of judicial process and insult to the martyr, who got assassinated due to lack of foolproof security by then BJP supported government at the Centre," Sharma alleged.

Criticising Malik for his remarks, state unit senior vice president Raman Bhalla said, "He made the statement to please his bosses in Delhi. It is better if he resigns from the constitutional post and work as a spokesperson of the BJP," he said.

Sharma accused Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of bringing the election campaigning to the lowest level by using abusive language and hurling expletives on the opposition leaders, including former prime ministers.

The agitated Congress leaders protested outside the party headquarters at Shaheedi Chowk and raised anti-BJP slogans.