Congress reminds BJP of Advani praising Jinnah, forming govt with Muslim League in Bengal

Congress on Friday reminded the BJP of its veteran leader L.K. Advani hailing Jinnah as the "most secular" person during his Pakistan visit and the party taking Mohammad Ali Jinnah-led Muslim League's support to form the government in Bengal. The remarks followed BJP IT cell in charge Amit Malviya slamming former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for calling Kerala's Muslim League a "secular" party.

In a tweet, Malviya on Friday said, "Jinnah's Muslim League, the party responsible for India's partition, on religious lines, according to Rahul Gandhi is a 'secular' party. Rahul Gandhi, though poorly read, is simply being disingenuous and sinister here... It is also his compulsion to remain acceptable in Wayanad."

He was responding to Rahul Gandhi's comments made at the National Press Club in Washington on Thursday.

Rahul Gandhi said that Muslim league is completely a secular party there is nothing non-secular about it.

He made the remarks while responding to a question on alliance with Muslim league in Kerala, from where he was elected as a Lok Sabha MP.

Hitting back at the BJP, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said, "The party he (Rahul Gandhi) mentioned is IUML. It is a registered party in India. Does ECI register wrong parties? It is not that party with which Shyama Prasad Mukherjee formed the government in Bengal after joining hands with Muslim League. That Muslim League was formed by Mohammad Ali Jinnah."

Vallabh said, "Rahul Gandhi has not spoken about that party, but it was the founder of BJP L.K. Advani, who went to Jinnah cemetery and said that he was the biggest secular person in Pakistan."

"None of the Congress leaders and other dignitaries visiting Pakistan went to Jinnah's cemetery but only the BJP founder who went there and what he said is written in records.

"The people of BJP should first speak to Advaniji. And Rahul Gandhi only talked about IUML and not the one founded by Jinnah," he added.

Even Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera slammed BJP saying, ""Are you illiterate brother? Don't you know the difference between Kerala's Muslim League and Jinnah's Muslim League? Jinnah's Muslim League is the one with which your forefathers allied.

The second Muslim League, with which the BJP had an alliance."

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also took a dig at Malviya and said, "You are such a desperado - you silly silly man. Don't worry, you and your fake news factory will be occupied with a lot of work for a few days."

"Hey fake news peddler, good to see you burning the midnight oil. But brace up for some more sleep deficient days tracking Rahul Gandhi's US trip. You got a sad life man!," she added.

Meanwhile, Congress also slammed the BJP over the comments made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat that one should not defame a country on foreign soil.

Taking a pot shot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vallabh said, "Bhagwatji said it correctly and Modiji should answer. When Modi said that it is wrong to take birth in India during his visit to South Korea. We want to ask him why have you made someone sit on the important post."

"There was a time when people used to feel that what sin they committed in their past life which resulted in taking birth in India, is this what you call a country and a government, is this how the people are, let's leave it and go somewhere else, and people did leave. Now I can say with firm belief that intelligent people from all walks of life, renowned scientists too, even if they are earning big abroad but now they are eager and happy to come back and settle India for even lesser incomes," Modi had said during his Korea visit.

Citing other examples of the Prime Minister's remarks made on foreign soil, Vallabh said that Modi during his visit to Japan just after the demonetisation and said people are not able to get their daughters married.

"This was an insult to the entire middle class and poor of the country. Bhagwat must seek answers from Modi. Modi also said that India is a country of snakes and snake charmers during his visit to the US. Modi defamed India while Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of people and said that values of India are being dented," the Congress leader added.

Rahul Gandhi is on a six-day visit to the US. The Congress leader is scheduled to meet several people during his visit to the US in the coming days in Washington DC and New York.