'Your history soaked in blood': Smriti Irani rebuts Rahul Gandhi with Kashmiri Pandit genocide, Sikh massacre jibes

Tribune News Service

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, August 9

In a blistering attack on Rahul Gandhi for his "BJP has murdered Bharat Mata in Manipur" remarks in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Union Minister Smriti Irani cited the 1984 Sikh massacre and 1990s Kashmiri Pandit genocide to say that the Congress party's history was "soaked in blood."

Assailing Congress MPs for clapping at Rahul's "Bharat Mata has been murdered" comments, Smriti questioned the grand old party's silence on ally DMK's statement that Bharat only means Uttar Bharat and on one of their leader's demands for a plebiscite in Kashmir.

"Rahul Gandhi spoke of the voice of India. Are the voices of Girija Tickoo, Sarla Bhatt, and Sikhs massacred in 1984 not the voices of India?" asked Smriti Irani, intervening in the ongoing debate on the no-confidence motion against the government.

Irani also recounted journalist Pranay Gupta's accounts of the Sikh massacre saying small children were castrated in front of their mothers.

Citing crimes against women in Congress ruled Rajasthan, TMC ruled Bengal, Irani asked why the Congress did not speak on the brutal gang rape, dismembering and murder of a 14 year old in Bhilwara, whose mortal remains were recovered from a coal furnace.

"Their history is soaked in blood," she said, attacking the Congress after Rahul spoke on atrocities against women in violence-hit Manipur.

The minister who had defeated Rahul Gandhi in his family bastion Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections also questioned his patriotism, mentioning the US media expose on Indian news site NewsClick being funded by Chinese sympathisers.

"Neville Singham who finances Chinese propaganda worldwide writes to some Indian journalists about what kind of news should be peddled in India, asks them to get such news published and then says Tri Continental Publication will take care of the rest..I want to ask why the Congress Facebook page on April 19, 2019 published the comments of this well known anti India Publication's senior researcher?" Smriti asked.

Hitting back at the "Bharat Mata has been murdered" swipe, Smriti asked Rahul to explain how he called Muslim League, "that killed 83 people in Moradabad in the 1980s secular."

"He speaks of patriotism, was giving Bharat tere tukde honge slogan patriotism? Congress made the sympathiser of Afzal Guru, who attacked this Parliament, its leader. Is this Rahul Gandhi's patriotism?" she asked.

Citing Rahul's foreign trips, Smriti said even in the US the Congress leader said kerosene had been sprinkled all over India and all that was needed was a flame.

"Where did Rahul go looking for this flame? Did he not go to America where his event was co-organized by an aide of a Pakistani, well known for India baiting? the minister asked, describing the Congress as the root of dynastic politics and announcing the return of Narendra Modi as prime minister for a third time in 2024.

"India will not give the keys of this nation's treasury in your mother's hands," was Smriti's parting shot at Rahul, who was not in the Lok Sabha to listen to her.

He left after delivering his speech and blowing a flying kiss at the treasury, a matter that will simmer for days to come.

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