New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Tuesday accused Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, of being the “Leader of Propaganda or Leader of opposing Bharat.” His reaction follows the Congress MP’s recent remarks alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “100 per cent under the control” of US President Donald Trump.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Thakur said, “They demean the country. He (Rahul Gandhi) has now become Leader of Propaganda or Leader of Opposing Bharat.”

He further accused the Congress of not being serious regarding the current conflict in West Asia.

He said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a very serious statement in the Lok Sabha regarding the current situation. Everyone expected that the Opposition leaders would also be serious about such a critical issue, but there was no seriousness on their part. They were absent from the House.”

Thakur added, “If they were serious, they would have been present during the statement. Only tweeting and giving statement from outside shows that the Congress, which was in power for 60 years, can only criticise. When this region is going through one crisis after another, we have seen what Congress says from time to time and whom they support.”

“During surgical strikes (on Pakistan), Operation Sindoor, and even when delegations of all party leaders were sent by Prime Minister Modi to various countries across the world, we saw what the Congress was saying. Not only LoP Rahul Gandhi, even what other Congress leaders were saying. This clearly shows their mindset. They believe in Pakistan’s ideology not India’s,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, the BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur also expressed his disappointed after the state Assembly cleared a Bill to impose cess on petrol and diesel.

Appealing for it’s rollback, Thakur told reporters, “I appeal that this Rs 5 cess on petrol and diesel should be rolled back so that the people of Himachal are not burdened.”

He accused the Congress of bringing a ‘khatakhat’ model into the state.

He said, “Before the state Assembly elections, LoP Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra came to Himachal with a flashy ‘khatakhat’ model, and this flashy model caused such a mess that the situation in Himachal deteriorated. The Congress has attacked the pockets of the common people in the state.”

The BJP MP further said, “When the Congress government came to power, VAT was increased by Rs.10.40 in total, on diesel, and now they have implemented Rs. 5 cess. Himachal’s residents have to face this burden of increased VAT and tax”.

Anurag Thakur further alleged that Himachal Pradesh is debt-ridden.

He said, “While on one hand people have to face tax burden on the other hand the state is debt-ridden. A small state like Himachal Pradesh is under a debt of more than Rs 1 lakh 4 thousand crore. The state Congress government has taken around Rs 46 thousand crore as debt in the last three years.”

“Now people in the state have to pay even more due to this increased VAT and cess on petrol and diesel. The Congress have not been able to fulfill its promise,” he added.

–IANS

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