Clash of the Gandhis: Yashwant Sinha tells Varun to recall Mahabharata; says enemy must be vanquished

NEW DELHI: Advising Varun Gandhi to recall the Mahabharata, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday said, "He is engaged in a dharma yudh and he should not care who is in front of him."

Commenting on the verbal duel between Priyanka Gandhi and Varun Gandhi, Sinha said, "In this verbal duel that is taking place will be that he (Varun) should recall Mahabharata." "The enemy must be vanquished," Sinha added.

When the two Gandhi-Nehru cousins sparred over spliced sound bytes, the underlying message of kinship was lost in the cacophony of 24X7 news television. While one adhered to the limits of decency, the other referred to the betrayal of the family on ideological grounds.

Priyanka Gandhi has been repeatedly taking pot-shots at her cousin Varun Gandhi, calling the latter a family member who has gone 'astray'.

In a point-by-point veiled rebuttal to his cousin, Varun Gandhi had on Tuesday said, "My inherent decency and large-heartedness should not be seen as weakness." Stating that he has never crossed the 'Lakshman rekha' of decency, Varun Gandhi said, "I have always viewed other's respect as my own, whether it is member of my family or senior leader from any party."

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"Personal criticism deviates us from crucial issues," said Varun Gandhi after filing his nomination from the Sultanpur constituency. "It is my request to all that instead of personal attacks, we debate unemployment, corruption, poverty illiteracy," Varun Gandhi said. "Let us try to raise the level of discourse rather than lowering it," Varun Gandhi hit out. Varun Gandhi also released a press statement on the same.

However, in a quick response to her cousin's rebuttal, Priyanka Gandhi hit out at Varun Gandhi saying, "It's not a family tea party but a war of ideologies." "I strongly disagree with Varun's views. It's a betrayal of my family," said Priyanka Gandhi.