Smriti Irani slams Rahul Gandhi for 'silently sitting' on Amethi's development issues

Amid her visit to the Amethi constituency, Union minister Smriti Irani on Sunday lambasted Rahul Gandhi, stating that those who claimed to have family bonds with this Lok Sabha constituency never raised the issue of its development in the Parliament. She also said that Amethi faced various problems for years but the then MP elected from the constituency was silent on them.

While inaugurating projects worth Rs 5 crore including a bus station in Tiloi , Irani said, "Those who claim to have family bonds with Amethi have never raised the issue of its development in the House (Parliament). As a result, the people of Amethi parliamentary constituency were deprived of development for years. Amethi faced various problems for years, but the person whom it (Amethi) had elected and sent to the House, sat there silently."

The Amethi MP also inaugurated a health mela at the community health centre in Tiloi, and met patients, and sought information about the medical facilities.

Smriti Irani's historic Amethi win

In the Lok Sabha elections held in April-May 2019, Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi on his home turf by a margin of over 55,000 votes. Rahul Gandhi had won from Amethi in 2004, 2009, and 2014, and Sonia Gandhi had won from the seat in 1999. It came as a shock to many as Rahul Gandhi has been the MP from Amethi since 2004. Political experts have often propounded that the actor turned politician had won favors in Amethi as a result of excessive campaigning and actual human interaction with the locals. Rahul Gandhi on the other hand had spent most of his time touring the country. 

While speaking to Republic in 2019, Irani had said, "Amethi gave 15 years to one person, and when people sit to reflect, they realise they gave over 5000 days of their life and if in even one of those days work had been done, their lives could have been different."

(With PTI Inputs)

(Image: PTI)