New Delhi:
In a tote-for-tat move, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj reached the Parliament Annexe building today to attend a Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on ‘One Nation One Election’ with a tote bag that had ‘National Herald Ki Loot’ written on it. The bag statement, clearly aimed at the Gandhi family and the Congress, is also a swipe at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, known to send a message with her bags.
In December, Ms Vadra had sparked a row by carrying a bag with “Palestine” written on it. The bag had drawn sharp reactions from BJP leaders, who accused her of communal posturing and remaining mum on issues related to Bangladeshi Hindus.
The Congress leader trashed the barbs. “Who is going to decide what clothes I wear now? Who is going to decide that? That’s typical patriarchy that you decide what women wear. I don’t subscribe to that. I will wear what I want,” she said. “I have said many times what my beliefs are regarding this. If you look at my Twitter handle, all my comments are over there.”
The next day, sending another strong message, she carried a bag that had “stand with Bangladeshi Hindus and Christians” written on it. The reference was to the incidents of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Countering the Congress leader’s bag moves, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi gifted her a bag with ‘1984’ written in red font, a reference to the anti-Sikh riots in the aftermath of the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Several Congress leaders were found to have engineered the violence that left thousands of Sikhs dead. Ms Sarangi had told NDTV that Ms Vadra took the bag and walked away.
Bansuri Swaraj’s bag move uses Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s bag tactic to take a swipe at her family. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been chargesheeted by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper. It is alleged that the Gandhis took over properties worth Rs 2,000 crore for a paltry sum.
The BJP has targeted the Gandhis and the Congress over the alleged irregularities in the National Herald case. The main Opposition has responded by accusing the ruling party of political vendetta and misuse of probe agencies to frame its leaders.