Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said Congress President Sonia Gandhi was playing “emotional politics” to dodge charges made against the party in the AgustaWestland helicopter scam. Talking to reporters here, Gadkari said the Congress had always been a past master in employing sentimental tactics in politics but these would not succeed another time.

Sonia’s outburst

Gadkari was referring to the Congress chief’s emotional outburst in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jibes at her Italian origins.

Speaking at a rally here on Monday, Gandhi had said, “India is my country and my home, where my ashes will mingle with those of my loved ones.” She had used the same platform here to hit back at the Prime Minister, who had raked up her Italian connections while mounting a veiled attack on her in the chopper deal only a day earlier. Gandhi reserved her observations “about something personal, not politics” for the end of her speech, even as she criticised Modi, the BJP and RSS for “taunting her” for her Italian parentage. “Yes, I was born in Italy to proud and honest parents. I will never be ashamed of them. I came to India as a daughter-in-law and I’ve now spent 48 years here.”

‘No BJP role’

Commenting on the chopper scam, Gadkari said it was an Italian court that had taken a decision. This was an issue between the court and the Congress.

Neither the BJP nor Prime Minister Modi had any role to play here. But the government was bound to order a probe on the basis of the court verdict.

Answering another question, he said the political impasse in Uttarakhand had been generated due to internal dissensions in the Congress, and the BJP could not be blamed for that.

“If there are internal issues in the Congress here in Kerala, how can the leaders blame the BJP?”

According to him, the BJP would have a decisive role to play in Kerala post-elections. It would have a clear say on who should rule the State.

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