Why was Rahul 'silent' when Kamal Nath spoke against workers from UP, Bihar: Smriti Irani

Union minister Smriti Irani Friday asked why Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was "silent" when Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath had said that people from UP and Bihar get employment in MP at the cost of the local population.

"Why was Rahul silent when Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath spoke against people from UP and Bihar working in that state? How will he look into the eyes of people in Amethi today?" she said, ahead of Gandhi's visit to his Lok Sabha constituency.

Irani was on a day's visit to Amethi, about 140km from the state capital Lucknow.

For her visit, local BJP leaders had put up posters seeking an explanation from the Congress president on Kamal Nath's statement on workers from UP and Bihar.

One of the posters carried a collage of newspaper clippings of his statement.

Similarly for Gandhi's visit later in the day, Congress workers have put up posters praising him over the party's victories in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

"Teen rajyon ki jeet ke baad swagat (Welcome after victory in three states," read a poster. Another said, "Amethi ke MP, 2019 ke PM (Amethi MP is future PM)."