Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday put five questions to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and requested that he clearly state his position on them, seemingly an attempt to corner him in his family’s bastion of Rae Bareli.
“I want to ask five questions publicly – triple talaq, which was abolished by Modi ji… Was it good or bad? Rahul baba, answer the people of Rae Bareli whether you want to bring back triple talaq? They were saying that they will bring it back. Today, I want to ask in the presence of the public of Rae Bareli to make (your stand) clear,” Shah said.
“Instead of Muslim personal law, should there be a Uniform Civil Code or not? They say that they will bring (back) the Muslim personal law,” he said.
On surgical strikes, Shah said, “Modi ji conducted the surgical strikes, was it good or bad? Rahul baba raises questions on surgical strikes. (I) want to ask him, do you support the surgical strikes or not? “I also want to ask him why you did not go to the Ram temple in Ayodhya (after ‘Pran Pratishtha’). Give an answer,” Shah said.
“At last, Rahul baba should tell the people of Rae Bareli that do you support the scrapping of Article 370 or not? Rahul baba should answer these five questions,” Shah said, adding that the former Congress president should seek the votes of the people of Raebareli after answering these questions.
Rahul Gandhi is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Rae Bareli constituency, which his mother Sonia Gandhi had held for the previous twenty years till she recently shifted to the Rajya Sabha. Additionally running from Wayanad in Kerala is Rahul Gandhi.
Dinesh Pratap Singh, a minister for Uttar Pradesh, has been put forward by the BJP for the seat.
On May 20, Rae Bareli will cast a ballot in the Lok Sabha elections’ fifth phase.