Rahul Gandhi a merchant of lies: BJP

Dubbing Rahul Gandhi as asatya ka saudagar (merchant of lies), BJP today said his “untruths” about Gujarat land acquisition policy have been exposed by the report sponsored by his own government that has “praised” the State’s model.

“If you permit to borrow something Congress has trademark for themselves, today you (Rahul Gandhi) have become asatya ke saudagar,” BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters in New Delhi, in an apparent reference to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s infamous maut ka saudagar (merchant of death) barb against Narendra Modi.

Referring to the report prepared on behalf of the Department of Industrial Promotion and Policy (DIPP) which has praised the Gujarat land acquisition model as “exemplary”, she said “In every rally, the Congress vice president spoke about the toffee model that one gets a toffee for one rupee but in Gujarat, you will get land for one rupee.

“Where is Rahul Gandhi now? Where is he today? His own government today said that land acquisition policy in Gujarat is exemplary and it is the best practice. From the dais you went about telling the whole world something which did not get corroborated by your own government.

“You went on to say untruths from the dais as part of your election campaign and Congress party did not bat an eyelid. His speech writers did not tell him about this.”

She said Congress should apologise for having said such untruths when its government report is to the contrary. “People are misled,” she claimed.

Objecting to the “vicious” propaganda against Narendra Modi and BJP, she also sought a reply from Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma.

“Whether malnutrition or encounters, Gujarat was always targeted. Anything to do with Modi and Gujarat is alright for bashing up with untruths.

“We object to this and we take serious note of this kind of vicious attack the Congress is propagating against Modi and BJP. Minister Anand Sharam should come out on this,” Sitharaman said.