The Rajasthan minister said Rahul Gandhi chief was targeting Hindus to appease Pakistan
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi called Hindus terrorists, a minister in Vasundhara Raje's government in Rajasthan has alleged. Jaswant Singh Yadav -- who lost a by-election earlier this year after suggesting only Hindus vote for him -- also said Mr Gandhi was targeting Hindus to appease Pakistan. The minister's comments comes weeks ahead of the assembly elections in Rajasthan in which several opinion polls have predicted a victory for the Congress.
"He (Rahul Gandhi) says Hindus are terrorists. What will such a man do by becoming the Prime Minister? He tells people of India that Hindus are terrorists. What does it mean? If you want to please Pakistan why are you insulting us?" Mr Yadav said a public meeting in Alwar, his constituency.
Over the last year, Alwar has made it to headlines twice, witnessing two horrific mob killings linked to cow vigilantism.
The first victim was Pehlu Khan, a 55-year-old dairy farmer, who died in April last year. In July this year, 28-year-old Rakbar Khan, a young man from Haryana, was targeted by locals while taking home some cows he had bought.
Jaswant Singh Yadav lost a by-election earlier this year after suggesting only Hindus vote for him.
After the death of Rakbar Khan, Jaswant Singh Yadav, who is the state's labour minister, said cow smuggling was at the bottom of such incidents. "The Muslims should avoid eating beef and not support cow smugglers," he said.
Earlier this year, Mr Yadav had accused Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee of calling "all Hindu organisations extremists.
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"She does not have the knowledge, and she does not love her country... she should leave Hinduism... her mental condition is not good," he told reporters in July.
The minister's outburst came after Ms Banerjee, following the killing of Rakbar Khan, accused the BJP of trying to create an "atmosphere of Talibani Hinduism and Talibani communalism".