Why it took you so long to make stand clear on national security: BJP to Rahul on snub to Digvijaya

After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised his party colleague Digvijaya Singh’s comments on surgical strikes, the Bharatiya Janata Party sought answers from the Congress for comments made by its leaders. Party spokesperson and former union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad cited examples of “condemnable” comments made by Congress leaders including Gandhi.

Shankar asked Gandhi why he didn't speak to Singh during the over 3000-kilometre Bharat Jodo Yatra. “Digvijaya ji has walked with you from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, why did you not speak to him all along the way since Kanyakumari? In India, the tradition is that we do not seek proof from our soldiers, we simply salute them,” Prasad said.

Read | Digvijaya Singh said a ridiculous thing, says Rahul Gandhi on leader's remark on surgical strike

Prasad further questioned why Gandhi took so long to publicly declare his respect for the armed forces. Why it took him so many years to say publicly that he respects armed forces, the BJP leader asked. He should have also said "sorry" for what he had said earlier, Prasad added.

He also asked the Congress to make its stand clear on the issues of terrorism and national security.

Prasad drew from earlier instances where Gandhi and others have made remarks which were “condemnable”.

“On December 16 last year, in Dausa during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi said that Chinese soldiers have beaten up Indian soldiers. This is shameful. Then, on October 6 in 2016, when speaking about the surgical strikes, he used the term ‘khoon ki dalaali’,” Prasad said.

Prasad said that Gandhi has used the term “Hindu terrorism” while speaking to a diplomat and had also compared that to Boko Haram, adding that other Congress leaders like P Chidambaram, too, have made such utterances.

He slammed the former Congress chief for dismissing Singh's controversial comments on surgical strikes as his "personal opinion". “When questioned, the Congress says that it is the personal opinion of the leaders, but where does the Congress draw a line on the extent of personal opinion,” Prasad said.

He also criticised Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh, who is seen in a clip physically moving a TV reporter who is asking a question to Digvijaya Singh. “In our party, we allow questions to be asked,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)