Rahul thinks he's king of India, Rijiju claws back

New Delhi: Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday hit out at Rahul Gandhi, claiming that the Congress leader earlier used to behave like 'Yuvraj' and now thinks he is the 'King' of India. Continuing the attack on the former Congress President for alleging that the BJP government had created two Indias, Rijiju took a dig at Gandhi's frequent foreign visits.

"Two Indias are: 1. People enjoy high-class society life, attend rave parties, frequent vacation trip to foreign destinations and enjoy very colourful life. 2. People live simple life in India, remain with the needy people all the time, think Indian and follow Indian traditions," the Law Minister said on Twitter.

Participating in the discussion in the Lok Sabha over the Motion of Thanks on President's Address, Gandhi had said the Centre had created two Indias -- one for the rich and other for the poor.

He had also said the BJP government's vision for the country was more of a "king, who uses a stick to rule" and not of "negotiation and conversation".

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday hailed Rahul Gandhi for his "rousing" speech in Lok Sabha and said the Congress MP had voiced the long-standing arguments of Tamils in the Parliament. In a Twitter post, the DMK president thanked Gandhi on behalf of "all Tamils" for his parliament speech.

"Dear Rahul Gandhi, I thank you on behalf of all Tamils for your rousing speech in the Parliament, expressing the idea of Indian Constitution in an emphatic manner. You have voiced the long-standing arguments of Tamils in the Parliament, which rest on the unique cultural and political roots that value self respect," Stalin said.

Launching a full-blown attack on the BJP government at the Centre on Wednesday, among others, Gandhi accused the ruling party of bringing back the idea of a "king of India" that was "smashed in 1947" and targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the "idea of a king is back". "India is described in the Constitution as a union of states and not as a nation. One cannot rule over the people of a state in India. Different languages and cultures cannot be suppressed. It is a partnership, not a kingdom."

"We smashed that idea of a king. Now, that idea of a king has come back, that there is a king, a Shahenshah, a ruler of rulers, a master of masters... What is happening is that the instruments of the conversation between our states. The instruments of the conversation between our peoples, what we call the institutions of our country are being attacked and captured by one idea," he had said.