AHMEDABAD: Former BJP MP Harilal Patel has triggered a controversy in poll-bound Gujarat after making provocative remarks about Jawaharlal Nehru and the Gandhi family during an election office launch in Rajkot district.
Patel made the remarks during the inauguration of the Taluka and District Panchayat Election Central Office at Supedi village in Dhoraji, where he alleged that Nehru did not belong to a Pandit family and instead came from the Muslim community.
He later doubled down before the media and claimed that Nehru had presented himself as a Kashmiri pandit and hid his real identity to seek votes.
The remarks sparked outrage, opposition attacks and a fresh debate over political decorum as Gujarat heads into a heated local body election season.
Patel also targeted the Gandhi family, questioning their lineage and identity. He alleged that Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were all Christians and Muslims.
The remarks have handed the opposition a fresh issue to target the BJP during the local body poll campaign.
Congress leader Pragati Ahir criticised the remarks, saying the former BJP MP was creating unnecessary controversy and lacked knowledge.
The video of the speech has since spread widely on social media, drawing criticism and adding to the political row ahead of the local body polls.