Bhubaneswar, September 20: Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram on Sunday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks at the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' student interaction programme in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, describing the event as "shameful" and "condemnable."
Reacting to Gandhi's outreach programme, Oram said the country was witnessing peace, harmony and progress among different sections of society, including youth, farmers and the economically weaker sections. He accused the opposition of viewing the country's developments through a negative lens.
"In the country, there is peace and harmony; the youth, farmers, and the poor are all moving forward. Those fixated on the monsoon's greenery see nothing but greenery. Nothing could be more shameful. It is a condemnable act," Oram said.
His remarks came after Gandhi addressed the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Indore, where a youth was seen mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi on stage.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also criticised Gandhi on Sunday, referring to the Congress party's electoral performance in areas where the former Congress president has campaigned.
"Just look at the record: wherever Rahul Gandhi goes, the Congress meets with disaster, and the same is going to happen in Indore. The same is going to happen in Madhya Pradesh; that has been the track record. Wherever he has gone, the Congress has been ruined," Sai said.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also stepped up his criticism of Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader increasingly depends on comedians and artists to draw crowds to his programmes.
"False narratives were echoing across the country; just consider the situation. No one is willing to turn up to hear Rahul Gandhi speak. He has lost over 100 elections. You saw how they invited Neha Singh Rathore to Gujarat, and just yesterday, I saw them touring Indore with a stand-up comedian. I once remarked that a day might come when Rahul Gandhi is seen sharing a stage with Bollywood's most popular actress, Rakhi Sawant, simply because no one else is showing up," Dubey said.
