Those Whose Family Made Country Pauper Now Damaging Its Image Abroad: Thakur Targets Rahul

Former Union minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday launched a veiled attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi , stating that those whose family and party ruled the country for long and made it pauper are now denting its image abroad.

The BJP leader also alleged that the Congress ' mentality is to finish off the system of reservation in the country.

Thakur was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 'Viksit Bharat Ambassador - Yuva Connect Program' held at Fergusson College here.

Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi 's separate visits to the US in the recent past, Thakur said that after Modi became the PM, the respect of the country and its 140 crore people increased at the global level and India is now ranked among the first five economies.

"But those whose family and party reigned the country for 60 years and made the country pauper, they are now damaging the image of the country abroad," he said.

Criticism of Rahul Gandhi 's Comments on Reservation and Sikhs

These people spread lies and put forth such propaganda that the image of the country gets affected. But people of the country know who is increasing its respect and who is insulting it, the former minister added.

"When such persons insult the people of the country at the global level, the outsiders ask whether they belong to India or Pakistan ," he said.

On the Karnataka High Court dismissing a petition filed against the governor's sanction for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam, he said that after the high court's order, he should resign as the CM.

"Till the time the probe gets over, he should not occupy the CM's chair. The allegations of corruption are grave," he said.

Asked about Gandhi's remarks made in the US about reservation and the Sikh community, he said it had been Congress 's mentality to finish off the system of reservation in the country.

"Be it (former PMs) Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, or Rajiv Gandhi, and the Congress , it has been their mentality to finish reservation. Rahul Gandhi also expressed the same sentiments on foreign soil," he alleged.

It is the Congress that spread misinformation about Sikhs, as under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi, the Sikhs were killed in the country and atrocities were committed, Thakur said.

"Now, Rahul Gandhi is damaging the image of the country by spreading lies. While Congress insulted Sikhs, the Modi government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to give justice to the community and opened the Kartarpur Corridor," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Republic staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)