‘Nafrat Ka Mega Mall’: BJP MPs Slam Rahul Over ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ Remark, Cite His Ties With Maneka, Varun

Slamming Rahul Gandhi for criticising India abroad and his “mohabbat ki dukan” pitch to target the ruling saffron party, three BJP MPs on Thursday wrote a hard-hitting letter to the Congress leader and accused him of insulting the country in the United States during his tour. Lok Sabha MPs Poonam Mahajan (from Mumbai), Parvesh Sahib Singh (Delhi), and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Rajasthan) cited political examples of “hatred spread by Congress” and how BJP MP Varun Gandhi’s wedding was skipped by his aunt Sonia Gandhi and cousin Rahul.

In a nine-page letter written in Hindi with the title ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan Ya Nafrat Ka Mega Mall’ (shop of love or mega mall of hate), the BJP leaders highlighted the “inhumane” treatment meted out to some relatives by the Nehru-Gandhi family.

“Even what significance ‘Mohabbat’ holds to you can be seen in your personal relationships. Your brother Varun Gandhi personally invited you and your mother Sonia Gandhi by visiting the 10 Janpath residence for his wedding. Do you remember that neither you nor your mother or sister attended the wedding for the sake of the ‘Mohabbat ke Rishton’? But Varun Gandhi attended Priyanka Gandhi’s wedding despite the intolerable insult inflicted on his family by Indira Gandhi. This shows the meaning of “mohabbat” for him and it is reflected in his personal relations as well,” the MPs said.

The BJP leaders claimed that Rahul Gandhi has spewed a lot of hate against the motherland from the US and this is nothing new for his family and the party.

Claiming that maximum riots happened under Congress governments, they said, “The maximum number of ‘nafrat ki dukan’ was during the Congress time; the highest number of riots took place in your time. The way your family treated your party members, and other family members show what ‘mobahhat ke dukan’ you speak about.”

Maneka Gandhi, a BJP MP and Rahul Gandhi’s aunt, was allegedly forced out of her home by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1982 even though her little son in her lap was reeling under a high temperature, they claimed. His grandmother had treated Maneka with so much “mohabbat”, they said in a dig at Rahul Gandhi.

They said thousands of people were killed in Maharashtra after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1948 and added that Congress members claiming to give the “message of mohabbat” were behind it. They alleged that the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru made a speech which incited people instead of giving a message of peace and harmony.

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also blasted Gandhi for his “habit” of criticising India abroad and said taking national politics out of the country is not in the nation’s interest.

Jaishankar also exuded confidence in the NDA retaining power in the 2024 parliamentary elections as he said “2024 ka result toh wohi hoga, hamein pata hei (we know what will happen in 2024).”

Three days back, Gandhi said at an event in New York that the BJP and RSS are “incapable” of looking at the future and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to drive the Indian car by only looking in the rear-view mirror which will lead to “one accident after another”.

Gandhi addressed a massive community event at the Javits Centre organised by the American chapter of the Indian Overseas Congress.

“Back home we have a problem, and I will tell you the problem. The BJP and the RSS are incapable of looking at the future. They’re incapable. Unse aap kuch bhi poocho, woh peeche ki aur dekhte hain (You ask anything they look into the past),” he said.

Gandhi said that if “you ask the BJP why a train accident happened, they will say the Congress party did such a thing 50 years ago”, taking a swipe at the government following the Odisha train accident, one of the worst railway tragedies in the country.

(with inputs from PTI)