Law Min slams Rahul Gandhi over Valmiki Nagar incident; 'No political stature left'

In a sharp response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comment on PM Modi, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday that the latter has no political stature left and nobody takes him seriously. Prasad's comment comes after Gandhi, during his election rally in Bihar's Valmiki Nagar, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's effigies were burnt on Dussehra instead of Raavan's.

"Rahul Gandhi has no political stature left. He speaks something absurd every day. Nobody takes him seriously. He was the president of the Congress party. Is this how he should speak? This shows how desperate Congress is. When (Bihar assembly election) results will be out, you'll see what is the condition of the party," Prasad said during a press conference in Patna.

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The Union Minister claimed that Rahul Gandhi spread lies about Rafale fighter jets, demotivated the armed forces and his quotes were used by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in the United Nations. "If you watch Pakistan Television, Rahul Gandhi appears a lot. This is his level," Ravi Shankar Prasad added.

Hitting out at the Modi government over the new agricultural laws, the Congress leader had said effigies of Raavan are usually burnt on Dussehra, but this time, in Punjab, effigies of the Prime Minister and industrialists were burnt. "It is sad, but it is happening, because farmers are upset, the youth are angry," Gandhi said. 

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Bihar Assembly Election 2020

Bihar went to polls on October 28 with voting on 71 constituencies spread across 16 districts in the first phase of Assembly elections. According to Election Commission of India, Phase 1 Polling saw a voter turnout at 53.54% at 6 pm. In 2015, voter turnout in the first phase of assembly elections was 54.94%, and 53.54% in Lok Sabha elections, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said.

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Polling for the second phase to take place on November 3 and for the third phase on November 7. The results will be declared followed by counting of votes on November 10. A strong battle is expected between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan. From the NDA fold, BJP will contest on 121 seats of which 11 seats have been allocated to its smaller allies, while the ruling JDU in coalition with BJP will contest on 122 seats of which 7 seats are allotted to Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM, in the 243 seat Bihar assembly election.

This election will see one of the allies in NDA, the LJP contesting solo as the party had differences over the seat-sharing ratio with JDU. On the other hand, Mahagathbandhan consisting of Congress and RJD will have Tejashwi Yadav as the CM face with RJD-Congress agreeing on 144:70 seat-sharing ratio along with three other Communist parties contesting on 29 seats.

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(With inputs from agency)

'Rahul Gandhi has no political stature left, nobody takes him seriously'