BJP targets Rahul Gandhi on defence panel meet, Congress calls it silly distraction

Under attack from Congress over transgressions by Chinese troops in Ladakh, BJP on Monday virtually questioned Rahul Gandhi’s sincerity on strategic issues claiming that he failed to attend a single meeting of parliament’s defence panel.

Nadda’s attack came soon after Rahul hit out at the Modi government’s handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, saying it should become a case study for the Harvard Business School on failures.

“Rahul Gandhi does not attend a single meeting of the Standing Committee on Defence. But sadly, he continues to demoralise the nation, question the valour of our armed forces and do everything that a responsible Opposition leader should not do,” BJP President J P Nadda said.

“Rahul Gandhi belongs to that glorious dynastic tradition where as far as defence is concerned, committees don't matter, only commissions do. Congress has many deserving members who understand parliamentary matters but one dynasty will never let such leaders grow. Really sad,” Nadda said.

Congress dismissed Nadda’s remarks as a “silly distraction” from the focus on the government’s “mishandling” of the Covid-19 pandemic and the transgressions by Chinese troops in Ladakh.

“There is a limit to ridiculing anyone,” Congress spokesman Pawan Khera said, wondering whether Chinese troops would be pushed back had Rahul attended the meetings of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence.

Khera said the meetings of the standing committee on defence had not been convened in the past three-and-a-half months when such deliberations were required the most.

Congress also accused the Modi government of shunting out senior BJP leader B C Khanduri as Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence after he submitted a report on the defence preparedness of the armed forces.

Khera said the Modi government was rattled by the former Congress President’s persistent questioning of its “flimsy foreign policy” and “petty headline management”.

“Instead of responding to the serious questions raised by Rahul Gandhi, the BJP has chosen to attack Rahul Gandhi. The BJP should understand that its attacks on Rahul will not make China withdraw from Indian territory,” the Congress spokesman said.