Rahul Gandhi is a failed politician: Smriti Irani

NEW DELHI: BJP attacked Rahul Gandhi on his defence of dynastic politics, with I&B minister Smriti Irani describing him as a “failed dynast and politician”. Irani, who had contested from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat against Rahul and has often slammed him since, said he made a “big confession” by admitting that his party has turned arrogant since 2012 and that this was a reflection on Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

“A failed dynast today chose to speak about his failed political journey in the US... The country (India) is not listening (to him) so he is speaking somewhere else,” Irani said, adding this must be the first time that a Congress VP chose to taunt his party chief.

Rahul had criticised PM Modi and his policies in his speech at the University of California in Berkeley. He charged Modi with indulging in divisive politics and causing “damage” to India’s economy with “reckless” decisions like demonetisation and GST. This did not go down well with BJP.


“The fact that Rahul Gandhi chose to belittle the prime minister is not a surprise but expected... It is an indication of his failed strategy,” Irani said, addingtheUScollege wasa“platform of convenience” for him. She also challenged him to a public debate “without a handwritten script” over his criticism of the government.

Irani’s criticism of Gandhi was echoed by her colleague, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. “Rahul Gandhi gets wisdom when he is outside India. There is a tradition in our country that we don’t talk about domestic politics overseas. Despite being from a big family, Rahul did not pay attention to this tradition.”