The Congress on Monday released a video of Rahul Gandhi fact-checking Union Minister Smriti Irani on her ‘lies and propaganda.’
This was after Irani attacked Gandhi for not paying obeisance to Swami Vivekananda’s statue in Kanyakumari before starting his Bharat Jodi yatra. In a viral video, Irani was seen lashing out at the Congress leader in anger as she said, “Today, I want to ask the Congress party. You are saying that you are undertaking a journey to unite India.
“If you started (your journey) from Kanyakumari, then you shouldn’t have been so shameless and paid obeisance to Swami Vivekananda. Even this gesture was not acceptable to Rahul Gandhi.”
The Congress released a video of Rahul Gandhi, posted by ANI on social media, to expose Irani for her fake claims. Nitin Agarwal of the Congress tweeted, “Silly Soul – Serial spreader of lies & propaganda.”
Silly Soul – Serial spreader of lies & propaganda. pic.twitter.com/sRv8Gn6lz4
— Nitin Agarwal (@nitinagarwalINC) September 12, 2022
Rahul Gandhi has embarked on Bharat Jodo Yatra in a bid to unite the country against what his party said was hate and divisive politics promoted by the BJP. India’s ruling party has been routinely attacking Gandhi in recent days. In one of the tweets, the BJP had accused Gandhi of wearing Rs. 40,000 Burberry T-shirt during the yatra.
The Congress has accused the BJP of being rattled by the success of Gandhi’s Bharat Jodi Yatra. Several top Congress leaders including Digvijay Singh and Jairam Ramesh too have joined Gandhi in his journey.
Smriti Irani first contested against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi unsuccessfully in 2014. She was, however, able to defeat Gandhi from the same seat five years later.
Irani has been at the centre of a full-blown controversy after it emerged that an Italian bar owned by her daughter was operating in Goa illegally. Irani had vehemently denied the allegations but an RTI reply later said that the Silly Souls restaurant was being run under a lease to a company linked to Irani.
ARREST – Union BJP Min. @smritiirani for LYING in a sworn statement to Delhi High Court.
An RTI filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues shows that @fssaiindia issued license for #SillySouls Bar in the Name of Eightall Food & Beverages Ltd., which is owned by Ms. Irani & Family (75% Stake). pic.twitter.com/JM1m9vdcxn— 𝐑𝐢𝐣𝐮 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐚 (@DrRijuDutta_TMC) September 9, 2022
A report by Indian Express said that companies owned by Irani’s family had invested in Eightall Food and Beverages. The report added that Irani’s daughter Zoish Irani, her son Zohr Irani, husband Zubin Irani and his daughter Shanelle Irani owned two firms named Ugraya Mercantile Private Limited and Ugraya Agro Farms Private Limited. These two companies had invested in Eightall Food and Beverages in 2020-2021.
