Days after sparking a controversy by appearing to declare that Congress parliamentarian Rahul Gandhi was an avatar of Lord Rama, Salman Khurshid has diluted his remark while firing a fresh salvo at the federally governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Ravana was the chief antagonist in the Hindu epic Ramayana and known for abducting the goddess Sita before being killed by Lord Rama.
"Rahul Gandhi is not Lord Ram, but he can follow the path shown by Lord Ram. They (BJP) are saying that you do not have the right to walk on it. We have objection as they are following the path of Ravana instead of Ram," Khurshid, ex-foreign minister under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government, claimed to reporters.
BJP, Congress Engage in Another 'War of Words'
The controversy started after Rahul Gandhi was continuously seen sporting a T-shirt in Delhi's bone-chilling winter during his ongoing "Unite India March" that reached the national capital last weekend.
In this context, Khurshid praised Gandhi while calling him a "superhuman" and "yogi" (ascetic) before adding that he was "Lord Rama" himself, drawing a sharp response from the BJP.
Hitting out at Congress, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia termed Gandhi a "hypocrite Hindu," adding that the opposition party was doing this to gain the sympathy of voters.
"It is in the DNA of the Congress party. If they want votes, they can do any kind of politics and this is the reason behind Salman Khurshid comparing our adorable deity Lord Shri Ram with such a person (Rahul Gandhi) who is out on bail and the people of India will give him the answer," Bhatia said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi took a dig at people who call him "Pappu," a derogatory reference, used to poke fun at people who are considered "stupid."
The 52-year-old MP said that labeling him Pappu was political propaganda.
"It is in their heart. It shows the fear in [their] heart[s]. They are unhappy," Rahul Gandhi said in an interview with a local publication. "I welcome all the name-calling, I feel good, Please take my name more."