A day after PV Narasimha Rao's grandson NV Subhash alleged that Rahul Gandhi "deliberately" did not pay tributes to the former prime minister in Hyderabad, Congress leader Mahesh Goud on Tuesday claimed that the Wayanad MP did not do so due to "security reasons".
Telangana BJP leader NV Subhash and grandson of PV Narasimha Rao had alleged that Congress has "little" respect for a non-Gandhi party leader while citing the instance of Rahul Gandhi not paying tributes to the former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state.
Goud, who is the working president of Telangana Congress, toldthat Rahul Gandhi intended to visit the former prime minister's statue, however, the police suggested not going there citing a "heavy crowd".
"I was present there, Rahul himself wanted to visit PV Narasimha Rao and due to security reasons, he was unable to go there. He intended to go there but due to security reasons, he couldn't go there. Police said not to go as there was a heavy crowd surrounding," Goud said.
Reacting to the allegation that Congress has little respect for the non-Gandhi family leaders, he cited the examples of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Sardar Patel and dismissed the allegations.
"Vajpayee is not a Scion of the Gandhi family and even Sardar Patel. As far as PV Narasimha Rao is concerned, PV Narasimha Rao is the most respectable person in the Congress party. He gave much to the Congress party and he has been made the prime minister by the Congress party. The highest position has been given to him. We have respect for all the leaders of the nation irrespective of political affiliation," he said.
The Congress leader also hit out at the BJP and alleged that the party did not garland Sardar Patel on his death anniversary.
"They (BJP) talk much about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. In Hyderabad in the BJP office, they could not even garland Sardar Patel on his death anniversary," he alleged.
Earlier, BJP leader NV Subhash alleged that Congress' history is a testimony that the party "never recognized" the services of a leader not belonging to the Gandhi family. The BJP leader cited the example of Narasimha Rao, he alleged that Congress did not give him a respectful farewell after his demise.
"The history of the Congress party shows that it never recognized or acknowledged the services of its non-Gandhi family leaders like deputy prime minister late Sardar Vallabbhai Patel and former prime minister late PV Narasimha Rao. The party did not give a respectful farewell to PV Narasimha Rao after his death," he alleged.
"Had PV Narasimha Rao not become Prime Minister in 1991 the existence of the Congress party would have disappeared, he said adding that Congress never acknowledged the services of P V Narasimha Rao who was known as an economic reformer who successfully had put the economy of the country on right track," Subhash added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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