The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Mumbai): Union Minister Piyush Goyal, while campaigning in Mumbai, sharply criticized Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, calling her a “non-serious tourist” politician. Goyal argued that Priyanka, and by extension other members of the Nehru-Gandhi family, fail to genuinely connect with the Indian populace, merely making appearances during elections without substantial engagement or understanding of the country’s core issues.
During a press interaction, Goyal acknowledged the historical contributions of the Nehru-Gandhi family to India’s independence but criticized the post-independence leadership decisions, particularly highlighting controversies surrounding the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru over Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He accused the Congress of capitalizing on the legacy of freedom fighters to benefit individual family interests rather than the nation.
Goyal also responded to Priyanka Gandhi’s emotional campaign speeches where she invoked her family’s legacy of martyrdom. He dismissed these as ineffective in resonating with the electorate, pointing out the longstanding criticism of the Congress party’s focus on dynastic politics. The Union Minister referenced Mahatma Gandhi’s suggestion that the Congress should have been disbanded post-independence, arguing that its continued existence has served more to benefit the Gandhi family than the country at large.
The minister also touched upon recent controversies involving Rahul Gandhi’s legal challenges, criticizing demands allegedly made by Congress leaders for legal exceptions for the Gandhi family, which he described as indicative of the entitlement and detachment of the family from ordinary legal and democratic processes.
In his concluding remarks, Goyal expressed confidence that the electorate would recognize these issues and respond accordingly, potentially fulfilling Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of a transformed or disbanded Congress. This statement underscores the BJP’s ongoing critique of the Congress as a party overly centered around a single family, contrasting it with their portrayal of the BJP’s broader nationalistic and development-oriented agenda.