'Congress ka haath, Pak ke saath': BJP slams Congress after Pak leader shares Rahul Gandhi's post on Ram Temple

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday slammed Congress party and accused it of joining hands with Pakistan after its former minister Ch Fawad Hussain shared glimpses of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's speech. 

Hussain, who was earlier part of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in Pakistan, shared a video clip wherein Rahul Gandhi was speaking about the Ram Mandir inauguration and asking whether there were any poor people invited to the occasion. Sharing the video, the former Pakistani minister wrote: 'Rahul on fire'.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress party didn't attend the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony because the RSS and the BJP made the event a completely political function.

A few days back, Gandhi said President Draupadi Murmu was not invited to the Ram temple consecration (pran pratishtha) ceremony because she is an Adivasi. 

Reacting sharply on Hussain's post, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said the 'rishta' is clear. "Congress ka haath Pakistan ke saath," the BJP leader posted.

Poonawalla stated: "Pakistani leader - someone who has spewed venom against Bharat is promoting Rahul & Congress. Earlier Hafiz Saeed had said Congress is his favourite party... Mani Aiyer went to Pakistan for support to depose PM Modi! We remember Pakistan Zindabad slogans were raised recently by Congress leaders & BK Hariprasad openly batted for Pak. Time & again Congress leaders defended Pakistani terrorists too. Today the rishta is clear - Congress ka haath Pakistan ke saath ! From Muslim League manifesto to becoming Muslim League that created Pakistan! Pakistan Statement comes a day after INDI alliance says let’s do “vote jihad”."

Vote jihad was coined by Congress leader Salman Khurshid's niece Maria Alam Khan, who was speaking at a public meeting in Farrukhabad. "Together do vote jihad — with intelligence, without being sentimental and with silence," said Maria, who is a Samajwadi Party leader. An FIR was lodged against Maria and Salman Khurshid in connection with this speech as Salman Khurshid was present at the meeting.

BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya said Congress's dalliance with Pakistan could not get more obvious. "Ch Fawad Hussain, who served in the Imran Khan cabinet, as Minister for information and Broadcasting, is promoting Rahul Gandhi. Is the Congress planning to contest election in Pakistan? From a manifesto, that has imprints of the Muslim league to a ringing endorsement, from across the border, Congress’s dalliance with Pakistan can’t get more obvious," Malviya posted.

This is not the first instance where the BJP has criticised Rahul Gandhi following endorsements from Pakistan. In 2019, Home Minister Amit Shah censured Congress, expressing that they should feel "ashamed" because a statement by their leader, Rahul Gandhi, was utilized by Pakistan in its appeal to the UN concerning Kashmir.

"The Congress opposed the move to remove Article 370. Whatever statements Rahul Gandhi makes are lauded in Pakistan. Pakistan has included his comments in its plea. Congress leaders should be ashamed that these statements are being used against India," he had said.