Rahul Gandhi shoe attack: BJP slams incident, accuses Congress VP of playing 'cheap politics'

BJP on Monday condemned the incident of a man hurling a shoe at Rahul Gandhi during his roadshow in Uttar Pradesh but suggested the Congress leader to seek the advice of a doctor and not do "cheap politics" of putting the blame for everything on BJP and RSS. After a shoe was hurled at Gandhi during his roadshow in Sitapur, the Congress vice president had targeted the BJP-RSS over it, declaring that he would not be deterred by such actions.

"We strongly condemn the shoe-hurling incident and more strongly condemn your (Rahul's) statement of putting the blame for everything on RSS without any basis. This is the height of your mental bankruptcy. We suggest you seek advice from a good doctor," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said. He said in a democracy everyone has the right to protest, but there are ways of protesting. Sharma said BJP condemns the incident and such form of protest was unacceptable to it.

"But the statement that Rahul Gandhi gave after this is shameful. We know there is frustration and unease within him as he is not being noticed," Sharma said, accusing the Congress leader of playing "cheap politics".

"We outright reject the allegations made by Rahul Gandhi against us and our (Sangh) family. We do not do such cheap politics as you do. We do politics of values and principles. We think that you are making such statements after being inspired by Arvind Kejriwal. People of Delhi are very unhappy with him and with your such statement you have disappointed the people, who were already dejected with you," Sharma said.

The BJP leader said Rahul Gandhi's 'khaat sabhas' are proving a failure. He also accused Rahul Gandhi of doing politics in the name of farmers but doing nothing for them when in power.

"They (Congress) have only looted and cheated them. Haryana and Rajasthan are examples in this regard. He has made this statement for being noticed...so people notice his yatra," he said.

After the shoe was hurled at Gandhi during his road show in Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi said, "I am not afraid of your shoes and your anger...BJP-RSS people think that they will fling shoe at me to stop me from fighting for the cause of farmers. This is not going to happen. I am not going to get deterred."

Hariom Sharma, a resident of Shastri Nagar locality in Sitapur, flung a shoe from a distance at Rahul at the Transport Crossing, from where the roadshow started. However, the shoe did not hit him. The youth was immediately detained by the police and taken to the city police station for questioning.

At the Congress briefing, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi also accused BJP-RSS of playing cheap politics with such actions and said that neither the party nor its leader would be deterred by it. He claimed that the incident showed "real frustration" was setting in the BJP following the "massive response" to Gandhi during his "very successful" yatra.