This Article is From May 01, 2014

Congress Protests at BJP Office After Uma Bharti Compares Priyanka to Rakhi Sawant

Congress protests outside BJP office

New Delhi: Congress workers, mostly women, staged a protest outside the BJP's Delhi office against its senior leader Uma Bharti for comments that she made about Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Ms Bharti had yesterday, among other remarks about Ms Vadra, compared her to actor Rakhi Sawant.  "Rakhi Sawant too speaks a lot but it does not mean anything," she said in response to a question on the focused attack that Ms Vadra has launched on the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. (Don't compare me to Priyanka Gandhi, Rakhi Sawant tells Uma Bharti)

"Uma Bharti is like a migratory bird in UP, has a problem of speaking too much," Congress minister Pradeep Jain Aditya shot back. Mr Aditya is the sitting MP from Jhansi, the Uttar Pradesh seat that Ms Bharti is contesting in this general election.   

Congress workers today burnt effigies and raised slogans during their protest against Ms Bharti. (Watch video here)

As she attempts a late fightback to resurrect a limp Congress campaign, Ms Vadra has consistently hit out at Mr Modi and his party while campaigning in Raebareli, her mother's Parliament constituency and in Amethi, that of her brother and Congress number 2 Rahul Gandhi, both in Uttar Pradesh. (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra takes on Narendra Modi over 56-inch chest remark)

Ms Vadra's attack has come after the BJP launched an assault on the Gandhi family over corruption charges against her husband Robert Vadra, a businessman. Ms Bharti had said a few days ago said that Mr Vadra "will go to jail after the elections." (Robert Vadra will go to jail if NDA comes to power, says Uma Bharti)

Rakhi Sawant, best known for appearances in reality TV shows like Bigg Boss and Rakhi Ka Swayamwar, too objected to the comparison, tweeting on Wednesday, "Dear @umasribharti please mujhe aap ki raajniti sae dur rakho, mujhe aap Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sae tulna naa kare. Mae ek aam mahila hoon." That translates to, "please do not try to involve me in your politics and do not compare me to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. I am a common woman."

Ms Sawant has contested the general elections from the Mumbai North West constituency as an Independent candidate this time. She launched her own party called the Rashtriya Aam Party or RAP, recently.
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