PATNA: Union minister and senior BJP leader Ashwini Choubey took his party’s continuing attacks on Congress president Rahul Gandhi to a shockingly low level on Saturday by describing the Gandhi family scion as a “naali ka keeda” (gutter bug) and a schizophrenic person.
“The prime minister is like the sky, but what is the present president of Congress like? Rahul Gandhi is like a naali ka keeda,” said Choubey, the Union minister of state for health, while speaking to journalists at Sasaram in Bihar.
The Lok Sabha member from Buxar in Bihar, who was inducted into the Union cabinet a year ago, also mounted a vitriolic attack on Gandhi for claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been lying about the Rafale fighter jet deal.
“I was saddened to hear Rahul Gandhi call the prime minister a liar. Rahul Gandhi calls himself intelligent and perfect. But Rahul Gandhi is suffering from schizophrenia. He deserves to be lodged in a mental asylum,” said Choubey, 65, a day after fellow Union Minister and BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi described Gandhi a “gappu” or gossiper who makes illogical statements.
Choubey also advised Gandhi to snap ties with the RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar. “Rahul Gandhi should come to his senses. This mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) is a gathering of cheats. They are going to sink and make you sink with them,” said Choubey, 65, at a programme at Buxar.
Congress and RJD leaders in Bihar condemned Choubey’s choice of words to attack Gandhi. “The prime minister should immediately take note of such low-level language used by one of his cabinet colleagues. The minister should immediately apologise,” said Bihar Congress president Kaukab Quadri.
“It is not the first time the Union minister has used such despicable language. It is sad that his party encourages him. Choubey often speaks ill of people after consuming bhang. Once he also spoke against Mohan Bhagwat and Narendra Modi,” said Congress MLC and spokesperson Premchand Mishra.
Condemning Choubey’s statements, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav tweeted: “It is unfortunate that the prime minister has chosen such gems for his council of ministers so that a culture of low language can be developed in the country”.
Choubey had raised many eyebrows last month by calling Rahul Gandhi a bahrupiya (impersonator) and a child.
“Rahul Gandhi is an impersonator and wants to have several faces, but he is a bauwa (child). He will finish his party. It will be the Congress president who will put his party into the graves,” Choubey had said.
The central minister had earlier sparked a controversy by calling then Congress president Sonia Gandhi the mythical demon “Putana” and referring to Rahul Gandhi as a “foreign parrot”.