‘He changed colour’: Smriti Irani slams Rahul Gandhi, quotes Wayanad

Union minister Smriti Irani, who is defending the Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh, today warned local residents to beware of Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, saying he has “changed his complexion” and is trying to use religion and caste Split them.

Speaking to reporters, Ms Irani said she was sure Mr Gandhi would come to Amethi after April 26. Wayanad will go to the polls that day.

Congress is yet to field candidates for Amethi and Rabarelli, both strongholds of the Gandhi family until Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi to Smriti Irani in 2019. He retained his seat in the Assembly due to his victory in Wayanad, Kerala.

Ms Irani claimed today that Mr Gandhi “often said Wayanad was his family”.

“People change their skin color, they change their families… He will divide us in the name of religion and caste… We have to be aware,” she added.

She also took a dig at Mr Gandhi’s last press conference, saying it was ironic that he had to pay homage to the deity at the Ram Navami after declining an invitation to attend the consecration of the Ram temple.

“He started the press conference by wishing people Ram Nafmi… The man’s family issued an affidavit saying that Lord Ram does not exist… Look at the work of God – He had to do it by praying to Ra M. Nafmi started his press conference by making a wish,” she told reporters.

“It is a sad thing that the person refuses the invitation of pran pratishta (offering). What happens to the person who refuses God? The person who is absent after winning will also come after losing,” she said.

Key leaders of the Congress party – party president Malikajun Khargage, his predecessor Sonia Gandhi and senior party leader Adil Ranjan Chaudhry – received invitations to attend the inauguration ceremony , but refused. Following their cues, Congress leaders mostly skipped the ceremony.

Ms. Irani, who recently bought a house in Amethi, also retweeted the message. Amisi has seen progress over the past five years “because we’re all in this together,” she said. She also noted Amethi’s lack of development on a very basic level. “Amici, which he calls family – there are 400,000 people there who don’t have toilets,” she said. “Today, 400,000 houses have toilets,” she added.