Gujarat Minister Compares Rahul Gandhi to 'Puppy', CM Vijay Rupani Urges Him to Exercise Restraint

New Delhi: A minister from Gujarat on Saturday waded into controversy by referring to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi as a “puppy” and accused him of switching loyalties from Pakistan to China.

“When PM (Narendra) Modi stands, it looks like the lion of Gujarat is standing. When Rahul Gandhi stands, it looks like the puppy of a dog is wagging its tail,” ANI quoted Gujarat Tribal Development minister Ganpat Vasava as saying. “If Pakistan offers it a ‘roti’, it will go there and if China offers it ‘roti, it will go there as well.”

Vasava was speaking at a tribal gathering in Dediapada in Narmada district, part of Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency.

Reacting to Vasava’s comments, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Chavda, “BJP leaders show their mentality by giving such statements.”

Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said Vasava's comments showed the BJP has been rejected by the people of Gujarat.

"Vasava has done injustice to the tribal community to which he belongs. He should understand using such language will not get him any support as long as he does not give an account of what he did for the tribals," Doshi said.

Gujarat Congress-in-charge Rajiv Satav said, "This is the BJP's style of functioning, but the people of Gujarat have decided that it will stand with the Congress."

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also disapproved of Vasava's remarks and urged him to show restraint. "In the election, in the heated environment, one should show restraint. Words should be used with firmness, but one should not use unsavoury personal language," Rupani said in Rajkot.

This is not the first time Vasava has targeted the Congress chief. Last month, he had asked Gandhi to consume poison to check if he was indeed an 'avatar' of Lord Shiva as claimed by his party workers.

"People from the Congress claim Rahul Gandhi is an avatar of Lord Shiva. Now, since Lord Shiva used to consume poison to save people, I want Congress workers to make their leader drink 500 grams of poison," Vasava had said.

"If he survives like Lord Shiva after consuming poison, we will all believe he is the true reincarnation of Lord Shiva," he had claimed.

In another instance, Vasava had taken a swipe at the Congress over its demand for proof of India's February 26 Balakot air strike by suggesting that a camera-wielding party leader be tied to a fighter jet to record such aerial action in future.