New Delhi: BJP on Tuesday termed Rahul Gandhi's remarks linking RSS to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi as an attempt by the Congress Vice-President to divert attention of the people from core issues by levelling "mischievous" allegations.
As the war of words between BJP and Congress escalated, the opposition party claimed that Rahul lacked answers to "legitimate" questions and was, therefore, levelling false allegations at the Sangh Parivar.
"The election of 2014 is going to be fought on issues of 2014. Rising unemployment, country's growth rate coming down to an all time low, price rise and stinking corruption have strongly dented the very image of India leading to an utter sense of hopelessness in the country.”
"Legitimate questions are being asked from Rahul Gandhi as to what answer he has to all these. He has none. Therefore, to divert attention a completely false and mischievous allegation has been levelled by him about RSS involvement in the killing of Mahatma Gandhi," BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad told a press conference.
BJP has already moved the Election Commission against Rahul's remarks.
Prasad said various probes and an inquiry commission have not found the role of RSS in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
The BJP's Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha quoted a letter written by Sardar Patel to Jawaharlal Nehru in February, 1948, in which he had said that RSS was not involved.
"It was a fanatical wing of the Hindu Mahasabha that (hatched) the conspiracy and saw it through," Prasad quoted Patel as saying in the letter.
The letter is part of a biography on Patel written by Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi.
"Rahul Gandhi neither has an understanding of history nor his speech writers do their homework...obviously Congress is desperate, dejected, has no enthusiasm or public support in the coming elections. A massive defeat is very much possible. Hence, this falsehood and deliberate mischievous campaign people are bound to reject," Prasad said.
Attacking Rahul for his reported remarks that BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi lacked knowledge on Sardar Patel, Prasad said a lot of "false history" is being projected by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress.
"It is time to ask a proper question from Congress and its leaders in general and Rahul Gandhi in particular about a fact of history. Why did Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi as prime ministers did not confer Bharat Ratna on Sardar Patel and Maulana Azad? Both were great Indians fully deserving Bharat Ratna," he said.
He said it was the Narasimha Rao government, which conferred Bharat Ratna on Patel and Azad.
"Rao was the Prime Minister outside the family and is rarely even talked about by Congress party. BJP would like Rahul Gandhi to reply as to why Sardar Patel and Maulana Azad were discriminated," he said.
