BJP Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya Criticizes Rahul Gandhi's Public Displays of Affection with Sister Priyanka as "Foreign Values"

Bhopal:

Senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya ignited a political controversy on Thursday when he made contentious comments about the public displays of affection between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The incident occurred in Shajapur during an event commemorating the birth anniversary of BJP ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. Prior to his address, Mr. Vijayvargiya visited the Rajrajeshwari Mata temple to offer prayers.

During his speech, which heavily emphasized cultural values, Mr. Vijayvargiya stated, "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."

His comments appeared to be directed at Rahul Gandhi, who is frequently photographed embracing or kissing his sister Priyanka during public gatherings and rallies.

When later questioned by NDTV, Mr. Vijayvargiya defended his statement, saying, "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 Congress party responded with strong criticism. State Congress president Jitu Patwari condemned the BJP veteran's remarks, 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."

This latest controversy has once again placed Mr. Vijayvargiya, who has a history of provocative statements, at the center of public criticism, with opponents accusing him of crossing the boundary between political rivalry and personal attacks.