Thiruvananthapuram, March 14 Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister of State (MoS), V. Muraleedharan, on Friday, launched a scathing attack on the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi, saying that the latter is just someone who was "by default" born as a descendant of Mahatma Gandhi and has been trying to "monetise" his great grandfather's name.
The former Union Minister was responding after the Kerala Police registered a case against five BJP/RSS workers for waylaying Tushar Gandhi when he came to take part in an event in the suburbs of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram earlier this week.
"Those who criticise others will also be criticised and there is no need to be intolerant. If Tushar can criticise the BJP/RSS then the vice-versa also will happen. The protest that took place was in a democratic manner only. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should not think that by registering a case he can threaten us," former MoS Muraleedharan said.
"Tushar is one, who for long has been 'monetising' Mahatma Gandhi by signing up with an American company for an advertisement. Just because one is born in the family of the Mahatma, all will not become Mahatma's," he added.
"Today Tushar is running after the Congress party seeking a party ticket. We heard the Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan saying that it is highly deplorable that someone with a Gandhi's lineage was treated badly. If that's the case then the Congress party is doing just that by refusing him a party ticket," the former MoS said.
Slamming Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who condemned the protests of the BJP/RSS workers against Tushar Gandhi, former Union Minister Muraleedharan said, "It's really strange that someone like Vijayan who has no connection with Gandhism, is trying to impart Gandhism to us."
Tushar Gandhi's statement which invited the wrath of the BJP/RSS workers was when he accused the Sangh Parivar of spreading a 'cancer' that had crippled the country's soul.
Meanwhile, Tushar Gandhi, who is in Kerala, on Friday, hit back at the BJP/RSS while speaking at an event near Kochi and said he does not believe in apologising for the statements that he made.
"What this incident has done is to strengthen my resolve to continue to expose the traitors and the descendants of my great grandfather's murderers, will go to Mahatma Gandhi's statue and fire bullets at it, as they are habituated to do," he said.
Incidentally, LoP Satheesan had responded strongly by saying that the Congress party will now continue to bring Tushar Gandhi to Kerala again.
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