BJP's Kailash Vijayvargiya Sparks Row With Remark On Rahul-Priyanka Gandhi Bond

Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister and senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya triggered a political storm on Thursday with controversial remarks targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's public bond with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Mr Vijayvargiya was in Shajapur to attend an event on the birth anniversary of BJP ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. He offered prayers at the Rajrajeshwari Mata temple before taking the stage.

In a speech laced with cultural assertions, Mr Vijayvargiya declared, "We are people of an old culture. In our sisters' village, we don't even drink the water. In Jirapur, where my aunt lived, my father would carry a pot of water from home. Our opposition leaders today are such that they kiss their young sisters in the middle of a crossroads. I want to ask you, who among you kisses your young sisters or daughters in public? This is a lack of values. These are foreign values, brought up abroad. They even speak rudely to the Prime Minister."

The minister's comments were seen as a veiled swipe at Rahul Gandhi, who is often photographed hugging or kissing his sister Priyanka at public rallies and events.

Later speaking to NDTV, Mr Vijayvargiya doubled down, insisting, "It's not his (Mr Gandhi's) fault. The Leader of the Opposition studied abroad and imported those values. He doesn't understand Indian traditions. He even addresses the Prime Minister as 'tu'."

The remarks drew sharp condemnation from Congress. State party president Jitu Patwari slammed the BJP veteran, saying, "Kailash Vijayvargiya has chosen Navratri, the festival of worshipping the Mother Goddess, to insult the sacred brother-sister bond. Everyone knows his language. He has insulted women repeatedly, sometimes over their clothes, sometimes their education, sometimes their speech. This is his thinking about sisters and daughters. Frankly, I feel ashamed to even respond to such a shameless comment."

The controversy has once again placed Mr Vijayvargiya, long known for his provocative oratory, at the center of a storm, with critics accusing the minister of crossing the line between political rivalry and personal attacks.