Awaiting Rahul's poetic reply: Smriti Irani on alleged Vadra-Bhandari link

Irani's tweet came after reports that 'absconding arms dealer Bhandari (had) booked business-class tickets for Vadra in 2012'

Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani on Monday targeted Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi after a media report claimed that absconding arms agent Sanjay Bhandari had "booked tickets" for his brother- in-law Robert Vadra.

Irani tweeted:

Eagerly awaiting Rahul Ji’s poetic explanation for #VadraTicketGate

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) October 16, 2017

The minister's tweet came after Times Now channel claimed that "the absconding arms dealer Bhandari (had) booked business-class tickets for Vadra in 2012."

Vadra's reaction to the report was not available.

Times Now said Vadra and his lawyers had earlier denied having any links with the absconding arms dealer.

Irani's swipe at Gandhi, asking for his "poetic explanation", came two days after the Congress leader targeted the government over the Global Hunger Index by citing a poem in a tweet.

Irani had hit back then in a similar fashion.

Gandhi had tweeted a news report on the Global Hunger Index along with a Hindi couplet by poet Dushyant Kumar which read: "bhookh hai to sabr kar, roti nahi to kya hua, aajkal dilli mein hai zer-e-behas yeh mudda (if you are hungry, be patient, what if bread is not available, the issue is being discussed in Delhi."

 

भूख है तो सब्र कर, रोटी नहीं तो क्या हुआ

आजकल दिल्ली में है जेरे-बहस ये मुद्दआ

- दुष्यंत कुमार
https://t.co/JxewmoSfHh

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 13, 2017

Hitting back, Irani had tweeted:

ऐ सत्ता की भूख -सब्र कर, आँकड़े साथ नहीं तो क्या 

खुदगर्जों को जमा कर, मुल्क की बदनामी का शोर तो मचा ही लेंगे https://t.co/aCrbhZLCaX

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) October 14, 2017

"Ae satta ki bhookh, sabr kar, aankde sath nahi to kya, khudgarzon ko jama kar, mulk ki badnami ka shor toh macha hi lenge (hey hunger for power, be patient, what if you don't have the numbers, you can collect selfish people, noise can be made to malign the country)."

In another tweet, the Information and Broadcasting Minister had said:

Not suprising that in his keenness to run down Hon PM, Rahul Gandhi maligns the Nation. https://t.co/5eFEvM3slo

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) October 14, 2017

Along with this tweet, Irani posted a statement by Health Minister J P Nadda which read: "Facts vs Fiction on Global Hunger Index to enlighten people who are keen to run down our country by twisting facts.