He is a failed dynast: Smriti Irani hits back at Rahul Gandhi after he slams PM Modi in US

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi began his two-week tour to the US slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi at at the University of California, Berkley. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded with equal vigour with Smriti Irani describing the Congress leader as a failed dynast.

"A failed dynast today chose to speak about his failed political journeys in the US. The fact that Mr. Gandhi chose to belittle the PM is not surprising infact expected: Smriti Irani on Rahul Gandhi's statement. Fact that he (Rahul Gandhi) said that dynasts and dynasties is the very fulcrum of India in itself is an anomaly," Smriti Irani told reporters in New Delhi.

Irani, who contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, said her party is ready to debate with the Congress over every issue.

"Congress failed on GST and failed to keep the state into confidence. He (Rahul Gandhi) lacks imagination, that's why he want to follow the footstep of PM Modi. If he want, we are ready to



have a debate on any issue with him anywhere," the Union Minister said.

WHAT RAHUL SAID

Addressing students at the University of California, Berkeley, today, Rahul Gandhi riticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economic policies, accusing him of causing "tremendous damage" to India's economy with "reckless and dangerous" decisions like demonetisation and "hastily-applied" GST.

"Ignoring India's tremendous institutional knowledge and taking such decisions is reckless and dangerous," he charged.

The Congress leader also raised issues like lynching and polarisation during his speech.

"The politics of polarisation has raised its ugly head in India," he said, adding that liberal journalists are being shot. He was apparently referring to rights activist and journalist Gauri Lankesh's killing.

"People being lynched because they are Dalit. Muslims were killed on suspicion of eating beef. This is new in India and damages India very badly," Rahul Gandhi said.