Union Minister Smriti Irani, who is defending her seat, Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, warned its residents against Congress's Rahul Gandhi today, saying he has "changed colours" and would try to divide them in the name of religion and caste".
Speaking to reporters, Ms Irani said she was sure that Mr Gandhi would come to Amethi after April 26. Wayanad goes to polls that day.
The Congress is yet to name its candidate for Amethi and Raebareli -- both Gandhi family strongholds till Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi to Smriti Irani in 2019. He retained his place in parliament due to the victory in Kerala's Wayanad.
Ms Irani claimed today that Mr Gandhi has "often said Wayanad is his family".
"People change colours, they change family... He will come to divide us in the name of religion and caste... We have to be aware," she added.
She also took a dig at Mr Gandhi over his last press conference, saying it was a matter of irony that after spurning the invitation to the consecration of the Ram temple, he had to pay his respects to the deity on Ram Navami.
"He started his Press conference by wishing people on Ram Navmi... The person's family gave an affidavit about Lord Ram not existing... Look at God's work -- he had to start his press conference by wishing on Ram Navmi," she told reporters.
"It is a sad thing, that person turned downed invitation for pran pratishta (consecration). What will happen to a person who turns down God? Who was absent after winning, will come after losing," she said.
Congress's key leaders -- party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, his predecessor Sonia Gandhi and the party's senior leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury -- had received the invitation for the consecration ceremony and had turned it down. Following their cue, leaders of the Congress had mostly stayed away from the ceremony.
Ms Irani, who has recently bought a house in Amethi, rubbed in the message. Amethi saw progress in last five years "because we were together," she said. She also pointed to the lack of development in Amethi at a very basic level. "The Amethi which he called family -- 4 lakh people didn't get toilets in that," she said. "Today there are toilets in 4 lakh houses," she added.