Salman Khurshid is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from UP's Farrukhabad seat. (File photo)
Launching a fiery attack at the Congress party's opponents in Uttar Pradesh, senior party leader Salman Khurshid said that he would destroy anyone who gets in the way of his fight against the ruling BJP. His statement primarily targeted the Mayawati-Akhilesh Yadav combine who have teamed up against the BJP, leaving Congress out of the opposition alliance.
The former foreign minister hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election rally in UP's Farrukhabad. "My fight is against the BJP government and I want to destroy them. Anyone who gets in the way of my fight with BJP or tries to stop me, whether they're from the gathbandhan (alliance) or the BSP, I will smash them to bits," he said.
Mr Khurshid had earlier this week said that once the election results are declared, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party will have no choice but to tie-up with the Congress. Had Congress been a part of the opposition alliance, BJP's "miserable performance" would have been a "foregone conclusion", he told news agency PTI.
Targeted by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday over the 2008 Batla House encounter, the Congress leader hit back saying he would be willing to debate the case with him "whenever and wherever".
Mr Khurshid also quoted a dialogue from the popular 80s movie "Shahenshah". "But tell Yogiji that 'rishtey mein main unka baap lagta hoon' (I am like his father)," he said. Later, the BJP filed a case against him over this.
The senior Congress leader is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from UP's Farrukhabad seat which is locked in three-cornered contest against BJP's sitting MP Mukesh Rajput and BSP's Manoj Agarwal.
Farrukhabad will go to polls in the fourth phase of voting on April 29. The results will be declared on May 23.