Union minister Smriti Irani told local officials in Amethi on Monday that they were the ‘naukar’ (servants) of people and not vice versa, even as Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the BJP for spreading hate.
The Amethi MP embarked on a four-day public outreach programme in her constituency, on Monday, coinciding with Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra' entering Amethi.
Irani had directed all district-level officials, including those responsible for pensions, health, housing and land, to be present as she heard the grievances of the members of her constituency on Monday.
On a complaint of land encroachment, she asked a lekhpal (land revenue official) to get the land in question vacated.
She also told the official that he should never forget that he, like her, was just a naukar.
“Get it done within half an hour or I will come and sit in front of the encroachment,” she told the lekhpal. The crowd egged her on to sit on a dharna as soon as possible. One person shouted: “Arre madam ji baith jaiye” (Madam please do sit).
Irani retorted, “I am a neta who walks around and does not just sit like you”.
At this another man quipped, “We have sent away the one who used to sit from Amethi and he shall not return”. This was a reference to former Amethi MP, Rahul Gandhi, who was defeated by Irani in 2019.
At another location in Amethi, Gandhi said 73 per cent of the country’s population was asleep and had no guts to take on the BJP and RSS who spread hate in the country. “Every morning you should ask yourself what have you got from this sone ki chidiya” (golden bird) he said.
Neither of the two leaders had taken a direct swipe at each other at the time of the filing of this report.
