BJP's Amit Malviya(L), Rahul Gandhi inspects the areas affected by recent floods, in Gurdaspur, Punjab
Credit: PTI Photos
New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday shared a video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi having an altercation with a police officer in the flood-hit Punjab and said that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha was throwing a tantrum.
Gandhi was stopped by the Punjab police while travelling to the border village of Toor, near Gurdaspur, and in response, he asked if the Punjab police were unable to protect him in the Indian territory.
When Gandhi was asked to stop heading to the village, he asked a Punjab police officer: “You are telling me that you cannot keep me safe on Indian territory. That is what you are saying.” The officer replied that it was their duty to protect him.
A video of the interaction is making the rounds on social media.
“But you are saying that it is India and you cannot protect me … You want to say that the LoP (Leader of the Opposition) cannot go because Punjab police is unable to protect,” Gandhi said in response.
Gandhi was accompanied by Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, MP Sukhjinder Randhawa as well as former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya said this was “irresponsibility at its peak” and alleged that while the pretext was meeting flood victims, the reality was “throwing tantrums” at the Punjab police.
“ … insisting he be taken to dangerous terrains despite serious security risks. A responsible leader would have consoled victims, supported rescue efforts, and strengthened administration. Instead, Rahul Gandhi chose to disrupt, distract, and destabilise,” Malviya said.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said Gandhi should “behave responsibly” in an inundated area along the Indo-Pak border. “When thousands of people are suffering due to the floods, Rahul should have announced a relief package, but he was in Punjab just for the dramatics. It has become a habit with Rahul Gandhi to breach all security protocols. We already know that he has undertaken private visits, in the country and overseas, as well, without sharing his movement with the Central security agencies,” he said.