The Congress is paying back the BJP in the same coin as it stepped up attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and Cabinet colleagues.

The Congress has launched an overdrive against the NDA government by first questioning the educational background of HRD Minister Smriti Irani and Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde. 

On Sunday, Congress Communication Department Chairman Ajay Maken dug out old photographs of BJP workers protesting the decision to increase the diesel prices taken by the UPA government. “Would they not do it again now?” Maken said on Twitter.

“The Modi government completing 1 week and “acche Din” for common man just got better with rising diesel prices and power outages!” he said.

The Modi government had carried out its first diesel price hike on Saturday. Congress leaders contend that the UPA government had to face similar attacks from the BJP in 2004, when it had not allowed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to introduce his Council of Ministers in Parliament.

“We are not bad losers. We only want to remind the BJP of the treatment they meted out to the UPA ten years back,” a senior Congress leader said.

Earlier this week, Maken had questioned Irani’s educational background. “What a Cabinet of Modi? HRD Minister (Looking after Education) Smriti Irani is not even a graduate!” he had said.

AICC General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed followed it up by attacking Munde. “Social media is discussing the big achievement of BJP leader & RD Minister Mr Munde? He graduated in 1976 from a college established in 1978,” Ahmed tweeted.

Munde’s affidavit for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls available on the Election Commission website mentions that he did his BJL degree from New Law College, Pune in 1976. The NLC website said the college was established in 1978.