New Delhi [India], August 2 : Rohan Jaitley, son of former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and DDCA chief, on Saturday strongly refuted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's claim that his father threatened him over the farm laws.
According to Rohan Jaitley, the farm laws were introduced in 2020, 13 months after Arun Jaitley's death in August 2019, making it impossible for his father to have been involved in any discussions about the laws.
Condemning Rahul Gandhi, Rohan Jaitley stated that when a person is no longer alive, one should let them rest in peace. Rohan Jaitley described his father as a "staunch democrat" who believed in building consensus and would never threaten anyone over opposing views. Instead, he would invite open discussions to arrive at mutually acceptable solutions.
Speaking to ANI, he said, "Farmer's Bill was introduced in 2020. It was tabled 13 months after his (Arun Jaitley's) death... There was no conversation about the Farmer's Bill in Arun Jaitley's life... Threatening people was not in Arun Jaitley's nature. He was a consensus builder. He was a democrat by nature..... To say that he (Rahul Gandhi) was threatened over the Farmer's Bill, which came into the Parliament after his (Arun Jaitley) death, is highly condemnable... When a person is no longer among us, it is best not to speak about them; let them rest in peace... Kindly discharge your office with responsibility."
BJP leader Amit Malviya also responded to Rahul Gandhi's claim that late Finance Minister Arun Jaitley threatened him over the farm laws. Malviya emphasised that Arun Jaitley passed away on August 24, 2019, while the farm laws were introduced in June 2020 and enacted in September 2020.
He stressed that any suggestion of Arun Jaitley approaching Rahul Gandhi regarding the farm laws is factually incorrect and misleading. Malviya urged sticking to facts and not rewriting timelines to suit narratives.
"Rahul Gandhi claims that Shri Arun Jaitley approached him to water down his opposition to 2020 Farm Laws. Let's set the record straight: Arun Jaitley ji passed away on 24 August 2019. The draft Farm Bills were brought to the Union Cabinet on 3 June 2020. The laws were enacted in September 2020. Any discussion, whether in support or opposition, began after these developments. To suggest Arun Jaitley ji approached him for anything at all is factually incorrect and misleading. Let's stick to facts and not rewrite timelines to suit narratives," Malviya posted on X.
Earlier in the day, Rohan Jaitley reminded the Congress leader that his father died before the laws were even introduced, stating, "Let me remind him that my father passed away in 2019. The farm laws were introduced in 2020."
In a post on X, Rohan Jaitley wrote, "Rahul Gandhi now claims my late father, Arun Jaitley, threatened him over the farm laws. Let me remind him that my father passed away in 2019. The farm laws were introduced in 2020. 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."
"If at all such a situation were 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. Let the departed Rest in Peace," Jaitley said on X.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur also slammed Rahul Gandhi and asked him to apologise over the remarks he made about the late Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Anurag Thakur responded to Rahul Gandhi's remarks, as the latter claimed that Arun Jaitley was sent by the Modi government to "threaten" him for trying to fight against the farm laws.
"Rahul Gandhi comes up with a new lie and a new propaganda every day. I want to remind Rahul Gandhi that Arun Jaitley died on 24th August 2019, and the farm laws were passed on 17th September 2020 and 20th September 2020 in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, respectively. When the Bill came, Arun Jaitley had already died. Rahul Gandhi should apologise to Arun Jaitley's family, BJP and the entire country," Anurag Thakur told ANI.