Opposition raising issues ‘without basic knowledge about serious issues’, says Jaitley.
Opposition raising issues ‘without basic knowledge about serious issues’, says Jaitley.
New Delhi:
Taking a dig at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday termed him as a ‘delayed learner’ while calling his father late Rajiv Gandhi a ‘quick learner’.
Jaitley also accused the Opposition of raising issues ‘without basic knowledge about serious issues’ and rejected the notion that any 'Rahul factor' was at play.
-"I don't consider it as a factor,-" he said in an interview with a news channel when asked about the Rahul factor.
-"I want to say about Rajiv ji that he came in politics in 1981 and became the prime minister in 1984. But he was a quick learner,-" Jaitley said while referring to the late prime minister and Rahul Gandhi's father Rajiv Gandhi.
-"I hope he (Rahul Gandhi) also be a quick learner. But till now, he is a delayed learner,-" he added.
Stating that BJP also raised issues when it was in opposition, Jaitley said he is today -"concerned-" the Opposition sometimes raises issues without full knowledge.
Asked about the BJP's prospects in Assam, Jaitley said the party has learnt a lesson from Bihar and has formed a broad alliance.
-"Now, there are the BJP and the AGP. People say the AGP is not that much powerful now. But if they gain 8-9 per cent vote too, there will be a big margin between victory and defeat,-" he said.
Also at stake are 12 Bodo-affected seats, he said while adding, -"We included them in the alliance so that if we form the government they will be part of it.-"
-"Sometimes, incremental votes come with the alliance of small parties... alliances were made against us in Bihar, following this, we have made a broad-based alliance in reverse of it in Assam,-" he said.
The senior BJP leader further said there is an -"upsurge-" for the BJP in Kerala.
Stating that both Left and Congress-led fronts have formed government in the past in Kerala, Jaitley said the BJP will get -"a lot of votes-" in the state this time.
