Even as the BJP and the Congress are engaged in a war of words over a video that showed Rahul Gandhi in a nightclub in Nepal, Union minister and Amethi MP Smriti Irani is in Wayanad, on Tuesday, the constituency of Gandhi in Kerala, for a one-day visit.
The Union minister for women and child development visited the tribal settlements in Wayanad, one of the districts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP). She chaired a meeting with officials to review implementation of welfare works and schemes of Central government in the district.
Recently, Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala Suresh Gopi had said benefits of the schemes launched by the Centre for people belonging to the backward communities and the poor are not reaching to people in Wayanad.
During the one-day tour of the minister to the district, she has seven programmes scheduled. These programmes include visit to Maravayal Tribal Settlement, One Stop Centre, Ponnada Anganwadi, and Varadhoor Smart Anganwadi.
“Visited One Stop Center (OSC) of Wayanad district and interacted with functionaries & beneficiaries there,” a tweet from the Union minister read.
Visited One Stop Center (OSC) of Wayanad district and interacted with functionaries & beneficiaries there. pic.twitter.com/2qsE6d88W8
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) May 3, 2022
The BJP claimed that the visit is not political. "The minister’s visit to the tribal areas will expose the three years of Rahul Gandhi as the local MP along with the CPI(M)’s claim on Kerala’s high standards of development," BJP spokesperson K.V.S. Haridas has been quoted as saying.
Earlier in the day, a war of words broke out between the Congress and the BJP after a few BJP leaders tweeted a video of Rahul Gandhi in a nightclub in Nepal. "Rahul Gandhi was at a nightclub when Mumbai (in 2008) was under seize(sic). He is at a nightclub at a time when his party is exploding. He is consistent. Interestingly, soon after the Congress refused to outsource their presidency, hit jobs have begun on their Prime Ministerial candidate...," Malviya said in the tweet.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala clarified that Gandhi was in Nepal for a private wedding. "Rahul Gandhi has not gone as an uninvited guest like Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone to Pakistan to celebrate the birthday and cut cakes for the then Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif. Rahul Gandhi has gone to a friendly country Nepal to participate in a private marriage function of a friend. By chance, the friend also happens to be a journalist," he had said. "Last I checked, having a family in this country and having friends, attending marriage and engagement ceremonies is a matter of our culture and civilisation."
According to The Kathmandu Post newspaper, the Rahul Gandhi is in the country's capital to attend the wedding of his friend Sumnima Udas.
