Ashutosh's effigies burnt in Gujarat for 'comparing' Mahatma Gandhi with tainted minister

AHMEDABAD: BJP activists burnt effigies of AAP leader Ashutosh in various parts of the state today for "comparing" his party's tainted minister Sandeep Kumar, who has been booked for rape, with "son of Gujarat" Mahatma Gandhi.

Condemning Ashutosh, the AAP election in-charge of Gujarat, over his controversial blog, the BJP said it "won't tolerate insult to Mahatma Gandhi."

Earlier, angry activists set the AAP spokesperson's effigies on fire at Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Junagad and other cities.

In the blog written for a TV channel, Ashutosh had referred to the alleged affairs of icons like Jawaharlal Nehru and Gandhi while seeking to defend Kumar who was sacked as minister after a CD purportedly showing him with a woman in a "compromising position" surfaced.

"The comments made by Ashutosh on Gujarat's son and Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi reflects his dirty mindset and it also shows the difference between what AAP says and what it practices," MOS for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja said in a statement.

He said actions' of AAP ministers and MLAs shows the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has reached the "nadir of political values."

"AAP spokesperson Ashutosh has tried to malign Mahatma Gandhi by making cheap comments against him, all in order to save the image of his minister who was found indulging in a dirty act," Jadeja said, adding that AAP members had also made "dirty comments" on Jain monk Tarun Sagarji.

Attacking Congress over its "silence" on the controversial blog, the minister said, "The party which made tall claims on the issue of assassination of Mahatma Gandhi is mysteriously silent on this issue."