BJP calls Rahul a ‘failed dynast’ after his U.S. speech

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday termed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi a “failed dynast” and a failed politician after he defended dynastic politics at a public event in the United States.

Within hours of his speech, Union Minister Smriti Irani blasted him at a press conference, saying his admission that the Congress had turned arrogant since 2012 was a reflection on his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s leadership.

“A failed dynast today chose to speak about his failed political journey in the U.S.,” Ms. Irani said.

In his speech to students of University of California in Berkeley, Mr. Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ”causing tremendous damage” to India’s economy with “reckless and dangerous” decisions like demonetisation and GST.

“The fact that Rahul Gandhi chose to belittle the Prime Minister is not a surprise but expected… It is an indication of his failed strategy. The people of the country where he leads a political party no longer support him so he is expressing his pain abroad,” she said.

In his interaction, Mr. Gandhi argued that India is being run by dynasties and cited the examples of the Samajwadi Party and the DMK and even Bollywood.

“So that’s how India runs. So don’t get after me because that’s how India is run,” he said.