Jaipur: BJP workers Thursday burnt an effigy of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi at the party headquarters in Jaipur, for his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.They raised slogans against Gandhi, and led a protest march from the party office to Chomu House Circle. Clashes were also reported between BJP and Congress workers during the protest.BJP state president Madan Rathore criticised Gandhi’s leadership, claiming it was leading Congress towards political decline.Rathore said Congress has reached a “near-extinct state” and termed Gandhi’s remarks against the PM as disrespectful to the dignity of the nation. He accused the opposition of indulging in “cheap politics” instead of constructive debate. “While the PM is working to strengthen India’s global standing and economy through foreign visits and diplomacy, the Opposition is focused on making childish statements.”Rathore also distributed Melody toffees among BJP workers while mocking Gandhi over his alleged remarks related to “toffee and chocolate”. Referring to Italy as Gandhi’s maternal homeland, Rathore sarcastically claimed that the Congress functionary appeared more interested in “Melody toffee” than issues related to governance and diplomacy.He said Gandhi’s comments reflected “political frustration” and did not match the standards expected from a national leader.He announced that BJP would soon launch a public awareness campaign against what he termed the abusive language used by Congress functionaries and would continue democratic protests against functionaries who, according to him, fail to respect constitutional offices.He also dismissed Congress’s proposed agitation over the NEET paper leak issue as “political drama”, asserting that the BJP govt in Rajasthan had no role in the controversy and contrasting it with alleged paper leak incidents during the previous Congress govt.
