'Borrowed Brain, Don't Give Gyan': BJP's Anurag Thakur Takes On Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav In Heated Parliamentary Exchange

Former Union Minister and BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Tuesday (30 July) launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi over the Congress leader's 'halwa' speech in Lok Sabha.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Monday (29 July), Gandhi had used the traditional 'halwa' ceremony and the alleged lack of diversity in the Budget-making team to hit out at the government.

In response, the BJP had alleged that the history of the Congress is replete with instances of obstructing reservations.

On Tuesday, Thakur listed out the scams under Congress governments and said in Hindi, "Rahul ji, you spoke about 'halwa' (sweetmeat). Who had the 'halwa' from the Bofors scam, from the Antriksh-Dewas scam, from the Commonwealth Games, National Herald, submarine, AgustaWestland, 2G, coal, urea and fodder scams? Rahul ji, was the 'halwa' sweet or tasteless? Some people talk about OBCs, but for them (the Congress) OBC stands for 'only for brother-in-law commission'. This party will talk about other backward castes?"

Continuing in his strident tone, he said, "The 'shahzada' (prince) from this party will give us 'gyan'? First he has to understand what LoP stands for - it is Leader of the Opposition and not leader of propaganda. All I want to say is that he should stop spreading lies. There is a lot of talk about OBC and caste census. He whose caste is unknown is talking about a census?"

The statement caused an uproar in the Lower House, with LoP Rahul Gandhi interjecting to allege that Thakur had insulted him.

However, Thakur continued with the attack. 

"Politics can't be done with a borrowed brain. You speak every time you get a note. You speak a little and then, after you get a note, you speak again... What I had said was that those who do not know about caste are talking about a census. I did not take any name, but look who stood up to answer," the BJP MP sneered.

On Gandhi's attack on BJP's symbol 'Lotus', Thakur said that 'Kamal' is the 'asana' of Goddess Lakshmi.

"By insulting Kamal, you are insulting great Yogis like Lord Shiva, Buddha," he said.

He also questioned Gandhi's knowledge about Hindu epic Mahabharata, saying the Congress leader was an "accidental Hindu and his knowledge of Mahabharata is also accidental".

Thakur added that Rahul Gandhi should strive to be a 'real Neta' by speaking truth, instead of 'reel Neta', an apparent jibe at the memes on the Congress leader that circulate on social media.

During the debate, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is an ally of the Congress and part of the INDIA bloc, also backed Gandhi and asked how Thakur could bring up anyone's caste.

The BJP MP responded by saying Gandhi's father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had opposed OBC reservation while the Congress of today wants a caste census.

While speaking on the budget debate, Yadav also slammed the Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment in the Armed forces, saying that the "government knows it is not a good scheme, that's why it is asking BJP-led state governments to give job quota to Agniveers".

Thakur opposed Yadav's remarks, saying, "I come from Himachal Pradesh, which gave the country its first Param Vir Chakra awardee, the late Major Somnath Sharma. Most martyrs in Kargil were from Himachal. It is the Narendra Modi government that fulfilled the long-pending demand of One Rank One Pension. I am saying this, Agniveer has 100 per cent employment guarantee," Thakur responded.

Yadav then asked, "Then what is the need for state governments giving quota (for Agniveers). I went to a military school, we can also count Param Vir Chakras."

Thakur stood up again and said, "He has just gone to a military school, I am serving as Territorial Army captain. Akhilesh ji, don't give gyan".

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