New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, saying the former Bihar deputy CM went as far as declaring the Congress MP as the INDIA bloc’s prime ministerial face while the LoP Lok Sabha himself did not commit to making the RJD leader the chief ministerial face.

Bhandari said this exposed the “mutual distrust and opportunism” between the two parties.

Speaking to IANS in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, Bhandari claimed: “Rahul Gandhi has reduced Tejashwi to a mere driver in Bihar. Despite Tejashwi announcing him as the PM candidate of the INDIA alliance, Rahul did not even acknowledge him as Bihar’s Chief Minister. This shows how RJD and Congress cadres are busy pulling each other down at the grassroots. What binds them is corruption.”

He further said that the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill was introduced to ensure that governments are not run from jail, but the RJD and Congress continue to rely on leaders tainted by scams.

“One is the fodder scam accused (Lalu Yadav), the other is accused in the National Herald scam (Rahul Gandhi). Both are now sharing the stage,” he remarked.

On Tejashwi Yadav’s statement endorsing Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Minister, Bhandari suggested asking other INDIA bloc leaders.

“If Tejashwi Yadav wants Rahul as PM, then Trinamool Congress, Sharad Pawar and Arvind Kejriwal should be asked if they are ready to support this. The truth is Bihar wants NDA’s development agenda, not a coalition of corrupt forces,” he said.

Bhandari also attacked Rahul Gandhi over his stance on national security.

“Rahul can never become prime minister because the Gandhi-Vadra family speaks the language of Pakistan and questions our Army. The country wants only development, and in 2029 too, NDA will return with an absolute majority under PM Modi’s leadership,” he asserted.

–IANS

sas/pgh