NEW DELHI: Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday hit out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and called him ‘the present-day Mir Jafar of Indian politics’ and said that he will have to apologize for his alleged anti-India remarks during his recent visit to the United Kingdom. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “Rahul Gandhi will have to apologize in Parliament. He always defames the nation. He is the present-day Mir Jafar of Indian Polity.”

“He insulted the country and urged the foreign powers to intervene in the country. This is a consistent ‘conspiracy’ by Congress and Rahul Gandhi. His participation is least in the Parliament and yet he says that no one allows him to speak,” added Patra.

Comparing Rahul Gandhi with Mir Zafar, Patra said, “Mir Zafar did the same thing, he gave 24 Parganas to get help from East India Company and now Rahul Gandhi is playing the same kind of politics.”

“He is asking for help from foreign countries to become ‘Sahzada’ in India, Patra added. Highlighting the participation of Rahul Gandhi in Parliamentary debate, Patra said, “Debate is the soul of democracy but Rahul Gandhi had only participated only six times since 2019. He is not participating in the debate.”

Rahul Gandhi will have to apologize in Parliament. He always defames the nation. He is the present-day Mir Jafar of India Polity. He insulted the country and ask the foreign power to intervene in the country. This is a consistent ‘conspiracy’ of Congress and Rahul Gandhi. His… https://t.co/X2rpqkepeE pic.twitter.com/TK9hAZfHJ0
— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2023

Further, attacking Gandhi on his remarks of saying “unfortunately I`m an MP,” Patra said, “Rahul Gandhi doesn`t know what to say. He speaks only with the help of Jairam Ramesh. He himself said that “unfortunately I am an MP.” 

Rahul Gandhi Cambridge Speech Row

Previously, during his interaction at the Chatham House in London recently, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the microphones of Opposition leaders in Parliament are often silenced. He attacked the BJP-led government at the Centre and levelled several allegations. The Congress MP even said that Europe and the US are not doing enough to restore democracy in India as they are getting trade and money from the country.

The Congress leader also alleged that various institutions in the country were under threat. “It shocked me how successful they have been at capturing the different institutions of our country. Press, Judiciary, Parliament, and Election Commission are all under threat and are controlled in one way or the other,” Rahul Gandhi said. He also termed the RSS a “fundamentalist” and “fascist” organisation alleging that it has captured pretty much all of India`s institutions. 

BJP’s latest attack on Rahul Gandhi came as Parliament remained paralysed for the seventh day in a row due to protests from rival sides. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had on Monday said that an “unambiguous apology” from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks made in the UK that democracy in India is “under attack” could end the logjam.

Several opposition parties, on their part, accused the government that it does not want Parliament to function and is finding ways to divert attention from their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe (JPC) into allegations against the Adani Group.

In a repeat of events since the start of the second leg of the Budget session of Parliament on March 13, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have seen adjournments without transacting any business due to the protests by the Treasury benches against Rahul Gandhi for his London remarks and by the Opposition over its demand for a JPC probe into the Gautam Adani issue.

Rahul Gandhi has also written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to allow him to speak in the house over his democracy remarks made in the UK. Gandhi met Birla last week after his return from the United Kingdom.

Sources said that Gandhi wants to speak in the Lok Sabha to clarify his remarks made in the UK, over which the BJP is demanding an apology from him after accusing the Congress leader of insulting the country and its institutions on foreign soil. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Puri has demanded that the Gandhi scion unequivocally apologise for his remarks to bring the issue to a closure.