Congress cutout row: Pralhad Joshi calls Rahul Gandhi 'immature part-time politician'

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday lashed out at the Congress party for using a cutout of recently deceased CDS General Bipin Rawat in their Uttarakhand rally, calling MP Rahul Gandhi an 'immature part-time politician'. Hitting out at the statements of the Gandhi scion at the rally, Pralhad Joshi stated that the grand-old party should feel ashamed for using armed forces for political gains. 

"Today I heard his (Rahul Gandhi) speech. They used the cutout of the CDS, even though they were the ones who were against the decision to designate Bipin Rawat as CDS. They even abused him. Just because there is an election they are using his cutouts in the rally," Pralhad Joshi told Republic TV. 

"Congress party don't know the history of India. These are immature part-time politicians. They should feel ashamed. Rahul is an immature part-time politician," he added. 

Congress uses Gen Rawat's cutout for the rally 

The Congress party on Thursday put up a massive cutout of late General Bipin Rawat in their 'Vijay Samman Rally'. Visuals from the Congress rally at Dehradun showed the image of General Rawat placed between Indira Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, in a bid to highlight the late CDS' connection to his home state.

The incident has been labelled by the BJP as a 'major insult' to security forces. BJP CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "They (Congress) have never respected forces. They have always doubted and questioned forces. Now, as elections are nearing they are using them for votes".

At the rally, Rahul Gandhi once again courted controversy after he alleged that during the 1971 war, India stood as 'one' unlike now when India was 'divided' under the BJP. "Under Congress, there was a strong relationship between the Government, the forces and the people. Unlike now," Gandhi said. 

This was not all. Hours later, a video of a Congress MLA making unsubstantiated claims over General Rawat's death came to the fore. Addressing a gathering at the Dhirajpura village of Sikar district in Rajasthan, Virendra Singh- the Dantaramgarh MLA made an incredulous claim that some soldiers were martyred for "political gains". The leader cast aspersion on the Pulwama attack, the Galwan clash, and the IAF helicopter crash calling them 'strange coincidences' that took place ahead of elections.

Image: ANI/PTI