Rahul Gandhi clarifies his stance on “Muslim Party” remarks

Rahul Gandhi, who found himself in a huge political row after allegations that he called the Congress a “Muslim party”, today hit back at the BJP with a tweet that spelt out his stand, positioning the party as an all-embracing one.

“I stand with the last person in the line,” Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Tuesday. “The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me.”

I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me.

I seek out those in pain and embrace them. I erase hatred and fear.

I love all living beings.

I am the Congress.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 17, 2018

Mr Gandhi’s party has repeatedly denied the reports, which first appeared in an Urdu newspaper and was promptly zeroed in by the BJP. First defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, targetted the Congress chief citing the report.

“I read in the newspapers that naamdaar (entitled) said the Congress is a party of the Muslims. I am not surprised… When the previous prime minister was in charge, he said openly that the first use of natural resources should be with Muslims,” PM Modi said in UP’s Azamgarh.

Today, after Mr Gandhi’s tweet, BJP leader Sambit Patra said, “Rahul, You may be standing in line with people at the end, but the people are not standing with you. They know the Congress ‘family rule’ did not do anything for them”.

Most of the Muslim intellectuals at the meeting with Rahul Gandhi have denied the comments attributed to him by the Urdu daily Inquilaab.

The Inquilaab reporter, however, has stood by his report. News reports quoted him as saying what Gandhi had said had been nuanced, and that Rahul had not said “Congress is a Muslim party” but that “Congress is a party of Muslims”.