Smriti calls Rahul 'problem for his own party' over Corbyn-meet fiasco

BJP leader and Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Irani on Friday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after members in the Indian Overseas Congress in UK met the Labour Party of United Kingdom and discussed about Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Minister hit out at Gandhi and said that he had become a "problem for his own party" at a BJP press conference in Mumbai on Friday. Irani who defeated Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections in Amethi also said that in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections the people of Maharashtra would also give him a befitting reply. At the press conference, the Union Minister also said that Rahul Gandhi lost the polls in Amethi due to his support for the 'Tukde Tukde Gang'. "If he is coming to campaign for his party in Maharashtra now, he will get an answer in this state too. He should also respond on why his party visited the United Kingdom to discuss the Kashmir issue and malign the country." 

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BJP leaders criticize Congress-Labour Party meet

The BJP has shown strong opposition to British Labour Party's leader Jeremy Corbyn's tweet which read that that he had met with the representatives of Congress' UK unit and discussed about 'human rights violation' in Kashmir. Earlier at a rally in Buldhana district, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that Rahul Gandhi must apologize for Congress' meeting with the Labour Party regarding Kashmir. He said, "Rahul Gandhi must apologise for this as it is against India's stated stand that there will be no third party role in Kashmir and the state is India's internal matter. Rahul Gandhi should clarify his stand on the issue." When asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, both campaigning in Maharashtra on Sunday for the upcoming polls, Irani said, "PM Modi and CM Fadnavis practice positive politics which is a contrast from the person that you are comparing the Prime Minister with." In the press conference, she called Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis as a 'visionary' leader and also accused Rahul Gandhi of insulting Veer Savarkar. 

READ | Congress Now Denies Kashmir Meeting With UK MPs Despite Corbyn's Proof

Overseas Congress meets leaders of UK Labour Party

Earlier, Congress' overseas delegation met with UK Labour Party leaders led by Jeremy Corbyn, to discuss India's domestic issue. The two Opposition parties of the UK and India held a dialogue on the 'human rights situation' in Kashmir over the abrogation of Article 370, subsequent communication blackout, detention of mainstream leaders and deployment of troops due to concerns cross border terrorism. Several leaders of BJP criticized Congress party heavily for taking the domestic issue to the United Kingdom. After receiving heavy criticism, the Indian Overseas Congress tweeted saying that a delegation from their party met Corbyn and others to condemn the stand taken by the Labour Party on Kashmir. 

(With PTI Inputs)

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