Haryana minister Vij compares Rahul Gandhi to Nipah virus

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij, who is known for making controversial statements, today compared Congress President Rahul Gandhi to the deadly Nipah virus, saying he would "destroy whosoever comes in contact with him".

"Rahul Gandhi is like the Nipah virus which will devastate the party and destroy whosoever comes in contact with him," Vij said in an official statement issued by Haryana government here.

The Haryana minister has often made controversial statements in the past.

He had once described the Taj Mahal as a "beautiful graveyard".

The outspoken minister had in the past said that those who were supporting Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur for her campaign against the ABVP, were pro-Pakistan and should be thrown out of the country.

Vij also courted controversy with his remarks that Mahatma Gandhi's image did not help 'Khadi' and caused devaluation of the currency, triggering widespread outrage.

Meanwhile today, Vij also took a dig at Haryana Congress leaders, saying all of them were in a hurry to get themselves declared as the party's chief ministerial candidate for the next assembly polls.

"All leaders, including CLP leader Kiran Choudhry, Ashok Tanwar, Captain Ajay Yadav, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja were in a tearing hurry to get themselves declared as CM choice. But these self declared CMs may not even become MLAs," Vij said in the release.