New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Saturday claimed that former finance minister Arun Jaitley had threatened him to not speak against the farm laws, else he would face action, a charge rubbished by the BJP as “fake news” and asked him to stick to facts instead.
Rohan Jaitley, son of the former union minister, also slammed Gandhi over his remarks, asking the Congress leader to “let the departed Rest in Peace”.
Addressing Congress’ annual legal conclave at the Vigyan Bhawan, 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 to threaten me.”
He went on to add: “He said to me, ‘If you carry on down this path, opposing the government and fighting us on the farm laws, we will have to take action against you.’
“I looked at him in the face and said, ‘I think you don’t know or have an idea who you’re talking to. Because, we are Congress people, and we’re not cowards. We never bend; the superpower British couldn’t bend us and who the hell are you’.”
The BJP hit back at Gandhi, saying the farm laws were brought in 2020 while Jaitley passed away in 2019 and asked the Congress leader to stick to facts instead of rewriting timelines to “suit narratives”.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya wrote on X, “Fake News Alert.”
“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,” he said.
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,” he 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.
Jaitley’s son Rohan also took to X, saying, “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.”
“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,” he wrote.
“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.
PTI
