LS polls 2024: Rahul Gandhi ashamed of IUML support, says Smriti Irani

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday lashed out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi by accusing him of being "ashamed" of party ally IUML as its flag was not shown during his roadshow in this hill district.

The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, who had defeated Gandhi in Amethi in the 2019 general elections, said if he was ashamed of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), he should reject their support.

She also said she was shocked that he had allegedly accepted support of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political arm of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

"By accepting their support, he (Gandhi) has also violated the oath to the Constitution taken during the filing of the nomination," she said while speaking to reporters after the filing of BJP state chief K Surendran's nomination from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.

Irani also questioned as to who the Prime Ministerial candidate of INDIA bloc was and whether Gandhi was an acceptable choice for that position.

"So it is an alliance which does not have a 'neta' (leader), does not have 'niti' and its 'niyat' (intention) is to loot which is known by every citizen of India," she said.

Irani also claimed the INDIA bloc was "shattered" as allies -- Congress and the Left -- within the alliance were at battle with each other in the Wayanad LS constituency as well as the state as a whole.