BJP slams Rahul calls him a 'migrant leader' who has taken refuge in Kerala after being rejected in Amethi

  Thrissur (Ker), Feb 16 (PTI) BJP on Tuesday attacked<br>Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him a "migrant leader"<br>who has taken "shelter" in Kerala after being rejected by<br>people of Amethi, once a stronghold of his family.<br>     Targeting Gandhi, who represents Kerala's Wayanad seat<br>in Lok Sabha, on the Sabarimala women entry issue, senior BJP<br>leader and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi claimed that the<br>national leadership and state leadership of the Congress have<br>taken two different stands on the matter.<br>        He urged Gandhi to clear his position on the issue of<br>faith.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a bid to woo Christian votes in the state, Joshi,<br>who is the party's election incharge for Kerala, also cited<br>the "appeasement of Islamist fundamentalists" by the Congress<br>and ruling Left in the state while raking up the issue of<br>conversion of the Hagia Sophia church into a mosque in Turkey.<br>        In this context, he cited the statement of a leader of<br>Muslim League, a key Congress ally, reportedly favouring the<br>Turkish President Erdogan's controversial decision.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Addressing a press conference here to highlight the<br>preparations for the BJP's 'Vijay Yatra' from Kasaragod on<br>February 21, Joshi claimed Rahul Gandhi was a migrant leader<br>who did nothing for the development of Amethi constituency in<br>Uttar Pradesh despite being elected thrice from there.<br>        "There was no development.In fact, there was no X-Ray<br>machine in the public health facility in his constituency,"<br>Joshi alleged.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  He said after being rejected by the people there,<br>Gandhi has now taken "shelter" in Kerala and claimed people of<br>the state will also understand that by supporting Congress<br>party, they are not going to gain anything.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the Sabarimala issue, the BJP leader alleged Gandhi<br>supported the Supreme Court verdict granting entry of women of<br>all age groups into the ancient hill shrine.However, the state<br>leadership of the Congress took a different stand on the<br>matter, he said.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This shows that they have no commitment towards Hindu<br>sentiments, Joshi alleged.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So far Rahul Gandhi has not uttered a single word on<br>Sabarimala.I challenge Rahul Gandhi....what is your stand on<br>the issue? You clarify your stand," he said.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Accusing the Congress of indulging in appeasement of<br>Islamist fundamentalists in Kerala, the BJP leader alleged<br>senior IUML leader Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal had<br>justified the Turkey government's controversial conversion of<br>Istanbuls Hagia Sophia into a mosque.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The BJP leader also attacked the ruling CPI(M) in<br>Kerala and the previous Congress-led UDF government, alleging<br>both had failed to address the issues of the people.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We will expose the failures of the LDF government and<br>previous UDF government.Both the LDF and the UDF have failed<br>miserably," Joshi said.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath<br>will flag-off the party's Vijay Yatra, led by state president<br>K Surendran, at Kasargod on February 21.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Senior party leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah<br>will attend the yatra when it reaches Thiruvananthapuram on<br>March 7, he added. PTI TGB BN<br>ADMINISTRATOR   <br> BN<br>ADMINISTRATOR

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)