Rahul Gandhi trying to provoke people in the name of farmers: BJP

New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Hours after Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, the BJP hit back by alleging that the former Congress chief was trying to provoke the people in the name of the farmers.
The BJP also condemned international pop sensation Rihanna for her tweet supporting the protesting farmers by saying that some people are spreading propaganda against India.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the Congress leader is trying to “provoke” people in the name of “farmers”.
Patra alleged that Rahul Gandhi is trying to score political brownie points by putting guns on the shoulders of the farmers.
“Rahul Gandhi is threatening that ‘no one will back down’, ‘we do not believe in such dialogue’. Rahulji, this is a farmers’ movement and the farmers have said that they have nothing to do with any political party. Then why are you becoming their advocate,” Patra asked.
He further stated that when violence was reported at the Red Fort on January 26, all the Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, had said that the perpetrators of violence were BJP workers plotting to defame the peasant movement.
“When these people are being arrested, Rahulji is saying that they should be released. The Delhi Police have arrested people on the basis of evidence collected, but Rahul Gandhi and company are annoyed and are questioning why they have been arrested. The pain and concern show that they (those arrested) are their men,” the BJP leader said.
Taking a dig at the Congress leader, Patra said, “Rahul Gandhi says that the government wants to kill the farmers, while they should remember that the present central government is a government that runs on the principles of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas’.”
Patra reminded Rahul Gandhi of the horrific shootout during the tenure of the Digvijaya Singh government in Madhya Pradesh in 1998 in which 28 farmers were killed.
“It was not only farmers’ deaths, but democracy was also murdered. Today Rahul Gandhi wants to ask us questions? After all, on what basis,” he asked.
Patra also attacked Rihanna for tweeting on the ongoing farmers’ protest.
“These are people who would not even know what are Rabi and Kharif crops, but both (Rahul Gandhi and Rihanna) are commenting on the farmers’ issue. Where were these people when the statue of Mahatma Gandhi was damaged in California,” he asked.
He appealed that everyone, especially the leaders of the mainstream political parties, need to avoid propaganda against the country.

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