BJP mocks Rahul return, says Congress, VP both "confused"

New Delhi, Apr 16: BJP on Wednesday greeted Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's return with sarcasm and asked him to tell the people whether or not he wanted to continue in politics.

Noting that he has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra offered his "congratulations" to Congress upon Rahul's return and said that the vice president and his party were both confused as to their future. "He (Rahul) is confused.

He does not know what he wants to do with his life, whether he wants to continue in politics. He has to answer to the people. "Congress is confused because it does not know what it has to do with Rahul, whether to elevate him or marginalise him," Patra said as he spoke about a "vertical split" in the party.

Congress has become a "rudderless ship" and is suffering from a "leadership crisis", he said.

Senior Congress leaders have been speaking in different voices on the issue of the party's leadership with many pitching for Sonia Gandhi to continue as its president instead of her son Rahul taking over at the helm.

"This is the first time in Indian politics that an important member of a political party was absconding for such a long time that his return has become news. This is news for all the wrong reasons," Patra said.

Union Minister and BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it was a "concern" for Congress that Rahul was making news for his "disappearance" and "appearance".

Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena, a party allied to BJP, said it was high time that the Congress scion stopped worrying about the country and his party and started thinking about himself.

Rahul today returned home from his 56-day sabbatical, which had raised questions over his leadership of the party that is struggling to find its feet after a string of electoral defeats.

PTI