Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 30 : Congress MP Rajeev Shukla on Thursday defended Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Chhath Puja amid heavy criticism from the BJP.
Speaking to ANI, Shukla said that Rahul Gandhi met everyone on Chhath Puja and even congratulated the people of Bihar.
"This is absolutely false. Rahul Gandhi met with everyone on Chhath Puja. He congratulated the people of Bihar. Congress members organised the Chhath Puja. It's the BJP's habit to lie. The Congress party showed full respect and reverence to Chhath Maiya. In fact, Rahul Gandhi invited the youth of Bihar to the Chhath Puja...," he said.
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed said that the Lok Sabha LoP has not engaged in divisive politics like others.
"What Rahul Gandhi said yesterday was absolutely right, BJP and JDU have done nothing for Bihar. They are just playing politics for votes. Giriraj Singh talks about 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' but ignores the minority communities. Rahul Gandhi has not engaged in divisive politics like others... In Bihar, the ground reality is different; the Mahagathbandhan is set to form the government. Bihar is fed up with the current government. There are no proper schools, no medical facilities, and labourers are migrating in large numbers. What Rahul Gandhi said is valid. Narendra Modi acted like a coward by not once confronting Donald Trump's ceasefire claims. People from Gujarat are playing politics in Bihar....," she said.
Earlier today, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that there are "two Indias"; one which pretends that the Yamuna is clean by making a separate pond for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while on the other side, the pollution of the river has been evident.
"There are two Indias. During the Chhath Puja, PM Modi decided to take a bath in the Yamuna. On one hand, there is the reality of India and Bihar, where the Yamuna is polluted, and on the other hand, PM Modi has built a small pond of clean water. Clean water was brought from pipes so that PM Modi could take a bath in it," Gandhi said while addressing a rally in Bihar's Nalanda.
This came after the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi alleged that the BJP government created "fake Yamuna" for PM Modi to take a dip during Chhath Puja.
"Rekha Gupta's government created a fake Yamuna at Vasudev Ghat for making Reels and Videos. Filtered water from the Ganga was poured into it, and it was claimed that the Yamuna had been cleaned," AAP wrote on X on Tuesday.