Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said that former Union minister late Arun Jaitley had threatened him during the farm laws protest.
Addressing Congress' annual legal conclave on August 2 (Saturday), Rahul Gandhi said, "I remember when I was fighting the farm laws -- he's not here anymore, so I really shouldn't say it but I will -- Arun Jaitley ji was sent to me.”
"He said, 'If you continue down this path, opposing the government and fighting us on the farm laws, we'll have to take action against you.'
"I replied, 'I think you don't know or have an idea who you're talking to. We're Congress people, and we're not cowards. We never bend; the superpower British couldn't bend us'."
Reacting to the Congress MP's remarks, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya wrote on X, "Fake News Alert."
The BJP flagged Rahul Gandhi's remarks on former Union minister late Arun Jaitley as "fake news", and asked the Congress leader to stick to facts instead of rewriting timelines to "suit narratives".
In a swift rebuttal, Malviya said, "Rahul Gandhi claims that Arun Jaitley approached him to water down his opposition to the 2020 farm laws. Let's set the record straight -- Arun Jaitley ji passed away on August, 24 2019.
"The draft Farm Bills were brought to the Union Cabinet on June 3, 2020. The laws were enacted in September 2020." Malviya said any discussion, whether in support or opposition of the Bill, began after "these developments".
"To suggest Arun Jaitley ji approached him for anything at all is factually incorrect and misleading," Malviya said, adding, "Let's stick to facts and not rewrite timelines to suit narratives." The BJP leader also posted a video clip of the remarks Gandhi made at the conclave.
Arun Jaitley's son Rohan Jaitley also took to X and slammed Gandhi over his remarks, asking the Congress leader to "let the departed Rest in Peace".
"Rahul Gandhi now claims my late father, Arun Jaitley, threatened him over the farm laws. Let me remind him, my father passed away in 2019. The farm laws were introduced in 2020," he said.
"More importantly, it was not in my father's nature to threaten anyone over an opposing view. He was a staunch democrat and always believed in building consensus," Rohan Jaitley added.
"If at all such a situation was to occur, as it often does in politics, he would invite free and open discussions to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution to all. That was simply who he was and that remains his legacy today.
"I would appreciate Rahul Gandhi being mindful while speaking of those not with us. He attempted something similar with Manohar Parrikar ji, politicising his final days which was in equally poor taste," he added.
With inputs with PTI
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