Smriti Irani takes a dig at Rahul Gandhi, says BJP will win Amethi Lok Sabha seat in 2019

Union textiles minister Smriti Irani took a jibe at the Congress and the Gandhis in an interview with The Economic Times, adding that the BJP will win the Amethi Lok Sabha seat in 2019. Irani had unsuccessfully contested from Amethi against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in 2014. [caption id=“attachment_3533487” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Smriti Irani. PTI[/caption] “Whoever the party (BJP) picks to contest from there in 2019 will have a 100 percent chance of winning,” The Economic Times quoted Irani as saying in the interview. She also said that it was interesting that Rahul did not hold any khat sabha in Amethi and alleged that the previous UPA government had been in power for 10 years and done nothing. “You keep calling people your family and you don’t do anything for them. Nobody lets their family live in so much drudgery,” she further said. The minister added that there was now an “emotive outrage” in Amethi against the Gandhis because the people now knew that the Congress had done nothing for the region. “They saw the actual condition of 90 per cent mud houses in Amethi,” she said. Irani also said that freedom of speech cannot just be about speaking out against the right wing and that people supporting the right wing also deserved to have the same freedom. Earlier in May, Irani had again spoken out against Rahul and had said that unlike him, she cannot turn her back on the people of Amethi. “Three years ago I had promised the people of Amethi that I would not turn my back, Rahul Gandhi might do that. And in last three years I have been in constant touch with them and communicating with the people there,” Irani had said. She had further said BJP performed well in the Gandhis’ traditional bastion as the party won four out of five assembly seats there. Replying to a question on closure of Rahul’s office in Amethi, Irani had said that his office was running on the land which was allocated for a guest house attached to a hospital. “People had many times complained to the district administration but no action was taken as the then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had blocked it. But after his government was gone, the same administration said it should be closed,” she had said. Replying to another question, Irani had said, “We all eagerly wait for him (Gandhi) to speak and I would like to request to please organise a debate with him on any issue.” With inputs from PTI