'And Italian?': BJP's Riposte on Adhir Ranjan’s ‘Infiltrators’ Barb At PM Modi, Amit Shah

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday delivered a profound riposte to senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah “infiltrators” in the Lok Sabha. The remarks of Chowdhury triggered a massive uproar in Parliament with BJP MPs demanding an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and his son Rahul.

"I can say that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah-ji are themselves the infiltrators. Their homes are in Gujarat but they have come to Delhi," Mr Chowdhury, the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, told news agency ANI.

While opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill, the Congress leader further added: "India is for everyone -- for Hindus, for Muslims and for everyone else. They are creating the fear that they will throw out Muslims. They do not have the capability to do that. But what they want to show is Hindus will be allowed to stay, while Muslims will be sent away."

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Slamming Chowdhury for his remark against the duo of Modi and Shah, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra highlighted the foreign origin of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "Are Gujaratis infiltrators? And Italian?" the BJP leader tweeted in Hindi. Sonia Gandhi, the wife of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, was born in Italy.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also slammed Chowdhury, saying that the Congress party’s own leader is an “infiltrator” and that is why it is questioning others in the same manner.

"It is an outright insult to people who elected Modi-ji. He won a resounding mandate. He is liked overseas also," Joshi said, demanding an unconditional apology from the Congress leader.