'Beta Bachao, Beta Padhao' is Believed By Congress: BJP on Rahul's Rae Bareli nomination

New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday took a swipe at the Congress over Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli, saying the opposition party seems to believe in "beta bachao, beta badhao" (save son, promote son).

Speaking to reporters as five former Delhi Congress leaders, including Arvinder Singh Lovely, joined the BJP, the ruling party's national general secretary Vinod Tawde claimed that many Congress workers wanted Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Rae Bareli but her brother took the plunge instead.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan is 'beti bachao, beti padhao' (save daughter, educate daughter) but the Congress' slogan is "beta bachao, beta badhao", he said.

Tawde said Gandhi had claimed that Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, from where he is seeking re-election, is his family and he will not go anywhere else.

"But he has now gone back on his assertion and filed the nomination from Rae Bareli," the BJP leader said. How can the people of the country trust him when there is such a mismatch between his words and actions, Tawde asked.

BJP leaders, including Modi, have mocked Gandhi for contesting from Rae Bareli and not Amethi, another Uttar Pradesh seat which he represented in the Lok Sabha for three terms before losing it in 2019.

Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam alleged that the "Rahul camp" has long been conspiring to scuttle Priyanka Gandhi's political career and claimed that the party will split after the poll results are announced on June 4.

Krishnam, who has been vocal about his support for Priyanka Gandhi, was expelled from the Congress following his incessant criticism of the party leadership over a host of issues, including its recent decision to turn down the invite for the Ram temple consecration ceremony. He has been full of praise for Modi's leadership.