Sack Rahul Gandhi for outburst against ordinance, says BJP

Kolkata, Oct 1: The BJP Tuesday demanded sacking of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for "insulting the nation" for his outburst against the ordinance on the issue of disqualifying law-makers.

A day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi charged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with making fun of the prime minister, BJP president Rajnath Singh said here that it was Rahul Gandhi who "mocked and insulted the PM and the nation" and he should be sacked from his post.

"I am surprised at her (Sonia) statement. It's not the BJP but their own party vice president who mocked and insulted the PM and the nation. If she is so concerned, then she should immediately sack him," Rajnath Singh told mediapersons here.

Sonia Gandhi Monday said at a rally near Bangalore: "They make fun of our party, they make fun of our prime minister. The whole (Congress) party stands behind the prime minister."

Rajnath Singh also said that Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the whole nation for calling a cabinet-approved ordinance "complete nonsense" which should be "torn up and thrown away".

Rajnath Singh said it was an insult of the prime minister and the nation as a whole.

"By questioning the credibility of the prime minister at a time when he is representing the nation on a foreign soil, Rahul Gandhi has defeated the very purpose of the prime minister's foreign visit. His act has embarrassed the entire country. He should be made to apologise publicly," the BJP president said.

Asserting that the BJP was opposed to the controversial ordinance approved by the cabinet to shield convicted lawmakers since its inception, Rajnath Singh urged President Pranab Mukherjee not to give his assent to it.

"We demand that the ordinance be immediately withdrawn. But then the damage has been done and the withdrawal will not salvage the situation," said Rajnath.

IANS