'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan chalate chalate ...': Rajnath Singh rebukes Rahul Gandhi for 'misleading' remarks in US

NEW DELHI: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday lashed out at leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, describing his comments on the Sikh community and reservations during his US visit as "misleading, baseless, and extremely shameful”. He accused the Congress leader of opening a "shop of lies" while running a "shop of love."Rajnath refuted Rahul's claim that the Sikh community in India is not allowed to wear turbans in Gurdwaras or follow their religious practices, calling it baseless and far from the truth. "The kind of misleading, baseless and factless things that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is saying during his foreign tour are extremely shameful and hurt the dignity of India. He has said that the Sikh community in India is not allowed to wear turbans in Gurdwaras, they are being prevented from behaving according to their religion. This is completely baseless and far from the truth," Singh posted on X.Rajnath also slammed Rahul's claims that the NDA government wants to abolish reservation, labeling them as baseless. He asserted that Prime Minister Modi has strengthened the reservation system for the welfare and development of Dalits, backward classes, and tribals. While calling Rahul’s statements regarding the India-China border dispute misleading, he urged the Congress leader to refrain from making “false statements”."Rahulji's claim that the NDA government wants to abolish reservation is also completely baseless. Our Prime Minister has strengthened the reservation system for the welfare and development of Dalits, backward classes and tribals. Similarly, the kind of claims he has made on the soil of America regarding the India-China border dispute are also misleading and beyond facts.”“Mohabbat Ki Dukaan chalate chalate Jhooth Ki Dukaan khol baithe (It seems that while running the shop of love, Rahulji has opened a shop of lies)" he added.Union Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju also condemned Rahul's remarks, saying that it is wrong to defame India abroad and highlighted that minorities from neighboring countries seek refuge in India whenever tensions arise as there is no safer place for minorities in the world than India. He also pointed out that the Indian parliamentary democracy has remained strong since the Emergency in 1975, and no one has been able to attack it since then.Union home minister Amit Shah also lashed out at Rahul for his comments on reservations, accusing him and the Congress party of standing with forces that conspire to divide the country and making anti-national statements. Shah criticised Rahul for supporting the JKNC's anti-national and anti-reservation agenda in J&K and making anti-India statements on foreign platforms, claiming that such actions threaten the nation's security and hurt sentiments.Rahul’s remarks in the US caused a political uproar with BJP attacking the LoP and his party left, right and centre for his remarks. Rahul, during an address to the Indian-American community, said, "First of all, you have to understand what the fight is about. The fight is not about politics. That is superficial, the fight is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India or a kada in India. Or he, as a Sikh, is going to be able to go to Gurdwara. That's what the fight is about. And not just for him, for all religions."