"Rahul Gandhi Must Clarify GN Azad's 'Undesirable Businessmen' Charge": BJP

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad today said Rahul Gandhi must respond to the "serious charge" made by former Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad that he has alleged ties with "undesirable businessmen".

Mr Prasad, a former Union minister, also sought to know if Mr Gandhi was trying to "weaken" the country at the behest of "anti-India businessmen". 

"Ghulam Nabi Azad has made a serious allegation that whenever Rahul Gandhi goes on a foreign tour, he meets many 'unwanted businessmen'," he told reporters here.

"Who are these 'unwanted traders' and what are their interests? Is Rahul Gandhi trying to weaken India at the behest of anti-India businessmen and working against Modi ji (PM Narendra Modi)?," he said.

Mr Prasad also wondered why Gandhi is maintaining a "stoic silence" over the alleged involvement of Congress leaders in "a number of scams".

"Revelations made by Azad are serious in nature... Rahul Gandhi needs to clarify," the senior BJP leader said.

In a recent interview with Malayalam News channel Asianet News, Mr Azad, referring to the Gandhi family, said, "The entire family has associations with businessmen, including him (Rahul). I can give you 10 examples of where he would go even outside the country, to meet people who are undesirable businessmen." 

Mr Gandhi on Saturday took a swipe at some leaders who have quit the Congress in recent years and some of whom have joined the BJP, while keeping up his offensive against the government over the Adani issue. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)