Congress must tell where are gifts Nehru, Indira, Rajiv and Manmohan received: BJP

Chandigarh, Bharatiya Janata Party today hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic decision to auction gifts received by him as Prime Minister of India. The party said that Congress criticism of PM on this count was nothing more than a ‘self goal’.

Slamming the Congress for its undue criticism of Prime Minister over auction of gifts, Tarun Chugh, the national secretary of BJP said that it was unfortunate that in its frustration the Congress was criticising even those moves of the prime minister which are being hailed world over by leaders and public alike.

In fact, the Congress and its present leadership need to tell the people of India where the gifts received by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh are?

Attacking Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on his criticism of Modi’s suit, the BJP leader said that this was not for the first time that Modi has done so. He had set an example by auctioning gifts worth lakhs of rupees which he had received during his tenure as chief minister of Gujarat.

Is it not true that the gifts received by all Congress prime ministers have been considered a personal property and adorn the homes of these leaders?

Recalling the controversy regarding gifts received by former president Pratibha Patil, Chugh said that she had to return the gifts after it was found that she had taken precious gifts received as president with her after she relinquished office at the end of her term.

Terming Modi’s decision to auction the gifts as a historic and inspiring move, Chugh said that it was all the more important the prime minister has decided to use the auction proceeds for his dream project to clean the Ganga.

Chugh said that Modi has in fact, set a precedent which the leaders at the top positions would have to follow. He said by this, the prime minister has conveyed that even the gifts received by persons in position were property of the people of the country.

The BJP leader said that before criticising Prime Minister Modi, the Congress leaders need to look within and introspect about the reasons they were rejected by the people of the country.