Rahul Gandhi's meeting with migrants ignites Cong-govt verbal duel

NEW DELHI: A war of words has broken out between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre and the opposition Congress over former party president Rahul Gandhi's interaction with migrant labourers here on Saturday.

While Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, here on Sunday, called Rahul Gandhi's meeting 'dramabaazi' (gimmick), Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said the government must apologise to migrants for the remark.

The Finance Minister had rubbed salt in the wounds of distressed migrants, he said. "If sharing the pain is crime, we will continue to do that," Surjewala said and recalled the "real drama of Modi washing feet of labourers" sometime back.

The Congress had on Saturday released photographs and video of Rahul Gandhi's interaction near the Sukhdev Vihar flyover on the Mathura Road with the migrants walking from Ambala towards their village near Jhansi, around 700 km away.

Rahul Gandhi sat on the footpath and interacted with a 20-member migrant group, comprising women and children. Terming it an impromptu interaction, Surjewala said Rahul Gandhi had decided to make a round and see the situation on ground himself after an interaction with the regional media personnel. (IANS) 

Also read: P. Chidambaram demands more clarity from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Also watch: Pallab Lochan Das, MP, LS In An Exclusive Chat With Oineetom Ojah