Patna, Feb 3 (IANS): Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary hit out at senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday, suggesting that he should take a dip in the Ganga River to "wash away his sins".
Choudhary's remarks come ahead of Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to Patna on February 5, where he will participate in an event marking the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Jaglal Chaudhary.
The announcement of Rahul Gandhi's visit has sparked political tensions in the state.
Accusing the Gandhi family of historically opposing reservations, Deputy CM Choudhary said, "If Rahul Gandhi is coming to Patna for the birth anniversary celebration of Jaglal Chaudhary, then he should first take a bath in the Ganga. His sins will be washed away when he does so. The public is well aware of the kind of politics his family has played regarding the backward and extremely backward communities."
Rahul Gandhi's visit is expected to intensify political discourse in Bihar, with leaders from different parties weighing in on his stance and legacy.
Deputy CM Choudhary said Rahul Gandhi's family has been historically opposed to reservations in the country.
He criticised three generations of the Gandhi family, stating, "His great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru was against reservation. His grandmother Indira Gandhi kept the Mandal Commission file locked in the cupboard. Rahul Gandhi's father, Rajiv Gandhi, never allowed the Mandal Commission to be implemented."
He further claimed that the Congress had always been against reservation policies.
"These people have opposed reservation from the beginning, and now Rahul Gandhi is doing politics over it. People must understand that his family has a long history of being against reservation," he added.
Deputy CM Choudhary also reminded people how the Mandal Commission, which recommended reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), was not implemented while Congress was in power.
"Whether it was Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi, they constantly opposed the Mandal Commission. Jawaharlal Nehru himself did not want reservations to be implemented in the country," he said.
Choudhary's remarks come ahead of Rahul Gandhi's visit to Patna on February 5 for the birth anniversary celebrations of freedom fighter Jaglal Chaudhary. His statements have further intensified the political atmosphere in Bihar.