Following an all out war between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Janata Dal (United) on Saturday criticized BJP chief Amit Shah for crossing the line in his insults to the grand old party, adding that they should stop the policy of 'ultra nationalism' as a means of political gain.
JD (U) leader Pawan Varma told ANI that BJP should not dismiss a party, which had stalwarts in India's freedom movement as being faulty genetically.
"I think, Amit Shah in his press conference, crossed the line, when he began to speak of something genetically wrong in an entire party," Varma said.
"You can be critical of somebody's comment, but you do not dismiss a party, which had stalwarts in our freedom movement, which has been the part of Indian National mainstream as being faulty genetically," he added.
Varma further said that Shah went too far and they should stop encashing ultra nationalism as a means of political gain.
Taking on Rahul Gandhi for his "dalali" diatribe directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Friday hit back at the Congress vice-president, asking whether "dalali" was an appropriate word used in reference for the Indian Army and their valiant efforts in serving the nation.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Shah hit out at Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others for politicising the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) on September 29.
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"Some parties tried to question the surgical strikes that were carried out by the Army. We had, from the beginning, tried to keep the operation by the Army away from politics but these parties have shamed the soldiers by giving it a political colour, The government has tried to keep this as far from politics as possible. In fact, it was the DGMO who spoke at the press conference," said Shah.
"Soon after Kejriwal ji made the statement on the surgical strikes, his name started trending in Pakistan. Just want to ask Rahul Gandhi, is 'dalali' a word to refer to the Indian Army and their efforts to save the country?" he said.
Shah asserted that the entire nation, the ruling dispensation and the BJP support the Indian Army and their efforts.
Targeting the Prime Minister over the surgical strikes, the Congress vice-president on Thursday said, "Jo hamare jawan hain jinhone apna khoon diya hai, Jammu and Kashmir mein khoon diya hai, jinhone Hindustan ke liye surgical strikes kiye hain, unke khoon ke peeche aap chhupe hain. Unki aap dalali kar rahe ho. Yeh bilkul galat hai. (You [Modi] are hiding behind the blood of soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir and those who carried out the surgical strikes for India. You are exploiting their sacrifices, which is very wrong)."
Concluding his 'Kisan Yatra' at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Gandhi called upon the Prime Minister to work for the development of people, especially farmers and army men.
However, the Congress vice-president insisted that he supports the surgical strikes but will not support the use of Indian Army in political posters and propaganda.
"I fully support the surgical strikes and I have said so unequivocally, but I will not support using the Indian Army in political posters and propaganda all across the country," said Gandhi in a series of tweets.