UP Power Minister Shrikant Sharma said Rahul Gandhi might go to jail in the National Herald case.

Uttar Pradesh state minister Shrikant Sharma has termed the Congress party a "big dirty drain of corruption" in which "small dirty drains such as the Samajwadi Party, BSP and RLD" flow into.

The power minister also said that the Ram temple issue should not be associated with elections as it is a matter of faith. "It's a proven fact that the disputed site was Ram's birth place," he claimed.

"The Congress is a big drain of corruption. It is behind corruption involving smaller parties like Samajwadi Party, BSP and RLD," he told reporters in UP's Ballia on Wednesday night.

"Samajwadi Party, BSP and RLD are small dirty drains of corruption and they fall in the big dirty drain of corruption, that is the Congress."

Hitting back at the minister, Congress spokesperson Mukesh Singh Chauhan accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "corruption" in the Rafale deal. He added that "The reality of the BJP has been laid bare and its leaders are making such statements out of frustration," he said.

On opposition's allegation that the BJP was raking up the Ram temple issue ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in order to reap electoral benefits, Mr Sharma said, "We will contest elections on the basis of our performance and will present 60 months' report card to the people."

"The Ram temple issue should not be associated with elections. It's a matter of faith. It's a proven fact that the disputed site was Ram's birth place," he added.

On Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the UP minister said, "He (Rahul) feels that he can become a prime minister as his grandmother and father were once PM. He is making false allegations against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. People of the country will teach him a lesson."

Mr Sharma also said Rahul Gandhi might go to jail in the National Herald case.

Disclaimer: NDTV has been sued for 10,000 crores by Anil Ambani's Reliance Group for its coverage of the Rafale deal.

