NEW DELHI, Aug 21: The Congress has demanded removal from the union cabinet of the minister of state for railways Raosaheb Danve for making controversial and “insulting” remarks about the former party president Rahul Gandhi.
Danve has criticized Gandhi as a “useless leader” and also likened him with a bull given to a deity which is allowed to roam free and not engaged in agricultural, transportation or any other work.
The Congress objected to his “indecent and shocking” remarks and demanded his removal from the Union cabinet.
Danve made the remarks while speaking at a public rally in Jalna district of Maharashtra as part of the ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ taken out by newly-inducted Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad.
Speaking in Marathi, Danve said, “Rahul Gandhi is of no use to anybody. He is like a bull… He roams everywhere, but is of no use to anyone. I have been in the Lok Sabha for 20 years and have seen his work.” His reference to a bull was to the common practice in rural Maharashtra and some other parts of the country to dedicate a newly-born male calf to a local deity which is not used for any laborious works and allowed to roam free.
The minister said, “Even if such a bull enters a farm and eats the crop, the farmer forgives the animal saying it needs food.”
“One should look at the great work being done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi…The government is spending money from its coffers as Railways does not generate enough revenue from various sources, including through the sale of tickets,” he said.
Reacting to his remarks, Congress’s state unit chief Nana Patole sought Danve’s resignation. “He (Danve) has crossed all the boundaries. His remarks are indecent and shocking. We demand his removal from Union cabinet for using such a foul language against Gandhi,” he said.
“It makes me wonder how he can be given such an important post in the cabinet despite his track record of using foul language,” he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
