Congress president Rahul Gandhi at Bucerius Summer School in Hamburg, Germany. Congress president Rahul Gandhi at Bucerius Summer School in Hamburg, Germany.

Rahul Gandhi citing the example of the Islamic State (IS) group, while talking in Germany about the exclusion of a large number of people from the development process in India, has triggered a sharp reaction from the BJP that has sought an explanation from the Congress chief for “justifying terrorism”, news agency PTI reported.

Addressing a gathering at Bucerius Summer School in Hamburg Wednesday, Gandhi said that exclusion of a large number of people from the development process could lead to the creation of terrorist groups. He further said that after the US attacked Iraq in 2003, they brought a law that stopped a particular tribe in Iraq from getting jobs in the government and in the army. “It seemed like a very innocuous decision at that time,” he said. “But it resulted in a large number of people joining insurgency that fought the US and caused massive casualties.”

“It did not end there. That insurgency slowly entered empty spaces. It entered the empty space in Iraq and in Syria and then it connected with…a horrific idea called ISIS,” Gandhi added.

Terming Gandhi’s ISIS reference as a justification of terrorism, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Thursday, as quoted by PTI, said “there cannot be anything more frightening and worrying”.

Patra said Gandhi’s submission was that minorities in India would “sell their soul” to IS if jobs are not available for them, and this amounted to “denigrating” the community. “Rahul Gandhi left no opportunity to belittle India and to present it in a bad light. We need explanations from you.”

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Accusing the Narendra Modi-led NDA government of excluding tribals, Dalits and minorities from the development narrative, Gandhi had also said, “It is very dangerous in the 21st century to exclude people. If you do not give people a vision in the 21st century, somebody else will. And that is the real risk of excluding a large number of people from the development process.”

Gandhi further said the incidents of lynching were a result of the anger emanating from joblessness and destruction of small businesses due to demonetisation and poorly implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST). “These three things that the government has done has made India angry …When you hear about lynchings, attacks on Dalits, attacks on minorities…that is the reason for it,” Gandhi said.

PTI further quoted the BJP spokesperson as saying that if the figures Gandhi cited of China producing 50 jobs every 24 hours compared to 44 in India, were “made in 10 Janpath” — where UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi resides”. You have no data and you do no preparation,” Patra said of Gandhi.

The Congress chief “lied through his teeth” in accusing the Modi government of striking down a law on atrocities against Dalits and tribals, Patra said, pointing out that Parliament had, in fact, made the legislation more stringent by passing an amendment in its latest session.

(With inputs from PTI)

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