Fresh faux pas from BK Hariprasad
Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP BK Hariprasad has continued his diatribe against BJP President Amit Shah despite widespread criticism. On Thursday, BK Hariprasad said that Amit Shah has got swine flu as he tried to engineer a rift between JD(S) and Congress in Karnataka. This lead to massive criticism from BJP. Even Congress party tried to distance themselves from BK Hariprasad's words. But clearly that hasn't had any effect on the senior leader. On Friday he claimed that Alok Shah doesn't have swine flu. He said people from AIIMS have given him this information. However, he promised to get back to media with more information.
1. Hariprasad's latest jibe
)
We have a report that he (Amit Shah) doesn't have any flu, we also know people in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), they said he is not admitted because of the flu. Let me get the facts then I will get back to you.
2. How BJP has reacted
)
The BJP on Thursday reacted furiously to Congress MP B K Hariprasad's controversial 'swine flu' dig at BJP president Amit Shah, saying that flu is curable but "mental illness" of the opposition party's leaders is difficult to treat.
Demanding that the Congress should sack Hariprasad and tender a public apology for these "abhorrent" remarks, the BJP claimed that the opposition party's "silence" over these comments show that all such "toxic" views have the sanction of its leadership.
In Bengaluru, Hariprasad, a Rajya Sabha member of the Congress, had mocked Shah's health, saying he contracted swine flu since his party made an alleged bid to destabilise the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka.
"The kind of ugly and indecent comments Congress MP B K Hariprasad have made about BJP president Amit Shah's health show the standards of the Congress. Flu is curable but it is difficult to cure Congress leaders' mental illness," Union minister Piyush Goyal said.
Apart from Goyal, several Union ministers, including Rajyavardhan Rathore, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and BJP leaders reacted sharply to Hariprasad's remarks.
"This is a completely abhorrent and ugly statement. They don't even have the basic decency as to how to react to a person's illness," Naqvi said.
Expressing sadness over "cheap statements", Rathore said he was not surprised to see Congress leaders completely abandon decency and dignity. Such comments also show the frustration of the Congress leadership, he added.
BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said Hariprasad's comments show the "moral degeneration" of the Congress, its complete "bankruptcy" of thoughts and "lack of moral values".
"The fact that the Congress leadership is silent on Hariprasad's comments clearly establishes all such toxic comments have sanction of the leadership. And if they want to really disapprove of his remarks, Rahul Gandhi should sack Hariprasad and should make him apologise publicly to Shah," Rao added.
Another party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain described Hariprasad's remarks as "shameful", saying this is the real face of the Congress.
BJP ally and Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan termed Hariprasad's comments as "very shameful" which, he added, reflected his mindset.
It is expected of Rahul Gandhi to take the matter seriously and dismiss him from the party, he said.
3. Congress tries damage control
)
The Congress Thursday sought to distance itself from its leader B K Hariprasad's comments on ailing BJP chief Amit Shah, saying the party wished good health to leaders of opposition parties so that they contest elections soon.
Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said their leader Rahul Gandhi has already wished good health to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and there can be no doubt about the party's intent.
"When the party president has very categorically wished good health to Union minister Arun Jaitley and all the leaders of the BJP, then I think there can be no other question, doubt about the Congress' intent and our good wishes to opposition leaders," she told reporters.
The Congress leader said they might oppose opposition leaders over ideas but would never wish anything bad for them.
"I wish good health to Amit Shah and BJP leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad ji and Arun Jaitley ji and all their other leaders who may be getting treated in a hospital," Chaturvedi said.
She said the Congress wished them good health and speedy recovery so that they come back and contest elections.
When asked about the BJP's attack over Hariprasad's remarks, she said, "It reflects the mindset of BJP leaders who had made remarks about the ill-health of a leader of opposition when her health was not good." "Whenever an opposition leader was unwell, we would not draw parallels of such mindset that BJP leaders displayed," Chaturvedi said.
4. Who is BK Hariprasad
)
BK Hariprasad is Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka. He is Congress general secretary and was party's candidate for deputy Chairman post in the Upper House. He lost last Lok Sabha elections to Ananth Kumar.
