Centre putting Priyanka Gandhi's life at risk: Congress

Congress on Thursday said the Centre, by asking Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to vacate her official residence, was accentuating the threat to her “by hook or crook” and putting her life at risk.

In a statement here, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal accused the BJP government of removing the Special Protection Group security cover of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in November last year with the “sole purpose of political vendetta.”

“BJP's sole purpose behind this act is aimed at accentuating this threat by hook or by crook,” he said.

Recalling that the government had removed the SPG security cover to the Gandhi family in November last year, Venugopal said asking Priyanka to her official residence was only in continuation of this “nefarious design to put their lives at risk.”

“But such thoughtless actions from the government, aimed at unleashing political vengeance could endanger the lives of the family members including Priyanka Gandhi,” Venugopal said.

The Rajya Sabha member said claimed that Priyanka’s “energetic” and “pro-poor political interventions” against the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh had prompted the “petty and dangerous decision” to ask her to vacate the house.

“BJP cannot silence or intimidate Indira Gandhi's granddaughter Priyanka Gandhi and the Congress party by resorting to cheap and petty political actions,” Venugopal said.