The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat on Thursday raked up the controversy over Congress president Rahul Gandhi's 'Italian blood'. This, after Rahul alleged that the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel coming up in Gujarat was 'made in China'.
While rubbishing Rahul's allegations as baseless, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that only five per cent of the statue was made in China.
Nitin Patel went on to rake up the Congress leader's Italy connection saying that “Italian blood is running in Rahul”. “We are not saying anything. But it is up to the Congress to decide whether it wants a party president of mixed-blood or an Indian,” Nitin Patel said.
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Earlier, while addressing a public meeting at Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, Rahul had said that it is a good thing that a statue of Sardar Patel is coming up. He, however, alleged that the statue is 'made in China' and provided employment to the youth in China.
Congress MLA Lalit Kagthara lashed out at Nitin Patel's comment saying that while the Congress president was referring to a statue, Nitin Patel was referring to a “living person”.
The Statue of Unity is to be the tallest statue in the world.
The controversy over the legacy of the 'iron man' is unlikely to die down any time soon with Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to inaugurate the statue at Kevadia Colony on October 31. BJP has been accusing the Congress of failing to recognise Sardar Patel. Nitin Patel on Thursday also pointed out that the Congress did not give Bharat Ratna to the former home minister.
Earlier in the day, BJP's national president Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani took to social media to corner Rahul.
In Gujarat, the BJP is planning to take out yatras in different parts of the state before the inauguration of the statue.