The PM had said the Congress was "punishing" Sachin Pilot.
A day after accusing the Congress of victimising Sachin Pilot because of the revolt by his father, Rajesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday doubled down on the claim and alleged that the party was avoiding answering the questions that were posed by him. He also said that the Congress had removed Rajesh Pilot "like a fly in milk" and was doing the same to his son.
In a post on X, the BJP, quoting the Prime Minister, said that the Congress had issued several statements on the issue and even addressed press conferences, but had not answered the question raised by him.
"Since yesterday, the royal family of Congress has been after me... Congress is lying with full force that the royal family of Congress never insulted Rajesh Pilot, but it is not answering the question I am raising," the post quoted the PM as saying.
The royal family reference is being seen as a dig at the Gandhis.
Later, addressing a rally in Rajsamand, PM Modi said, "A Gurjar son struggles to make his space in politics, gives his life to the party and after coming to power, the royal family removes him like a fly in milk".
"They did the same with late Rajesh Pilot and are doing the same with his son," he said, adding the Congress has been "insulting" Gurjars in the past and is continuing to do so now, according to a report by news agency PTI. The Pilots are from the Gurjar community, which plays a key role in the state's elections and is said to influence the outcome in 30-35 of the state's 200 Assembly seats.
Allegation, Reaction
Addressing a public rally in Rajasthan's Bhilwara on Wednesday, PM Modi had said the Congress was upset with Rajesh Pilot and that same resentment was expressed against Sachin Pilot, whose intra-party feud with Ashok Gehlot over the state's top job is well known.
"You know the history of the Congress. Whoever tries to raise his voice against wrongdoings in the party will lose political space because of the high command sitting in Delhi," PM Modi had said.
"Rajesh Pilot only once raised his voice against Congress and that too for the betterment of the Congress, but the party is punishing Sachin Pilot till date. Rajesh Pilot is no more, but Congress is with a feeling of rancour for his son Sachin Pilot," PM Modi said.
Reacting to the PM's statements, the Congress accused PM Modi of "unleashing another pack of lies". Senior party leader Pawan Khera said the late Rajesh Pilot was inspired by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and had left the Indian Air Force to enter politics.
Sachin Pilot had also hit out at the PM on Wednesday and said there was no need for anyone other than his party and the people to worry about him. According to a PTI report, he said his father has been a dedicated Congressman throughout his life and the PM's statements were far from fact and aimed at diverting people's attention.
Rajesh Pilot had objected to the idea of Sonia Gandhi being projected as the Prime Minister. He was also one of the two leaders who had contested against Sitaram Kesri for the post of the party chief in 1996.
Rajesh Pilot died in 2000 and Sachin Pilot joined politics in 2004. The feud between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot, which had led to a political crisis in Rajasthan in 2020 and flared up again in April this year, has ebbed and the leaders have put up a largely united front ahead of the November 25 elections.