New Delhi: Union Minister Manish Tewari on Thursday criticised former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari's remark against Income Tax officials that nobody would protect them when BJP comes to power at the Centre.
"The former BJP President is obviously under stress, perhaps annoyed with his own party for the ignominious exit and therefore should be given the benefit of doubt... otherwise the resort to brazen intimidation is bizarre if not downright fascist," Tewari said here.
He was asked to react to a remark made by the former BJP President in Nagpur that the I-T officials, who had carried out surveys on Purti Group companies, would not be saved after the "sinking" of the Congress boat when Sonia Gandhi and P Chidambaram would not be able to help them.
Earlier, Congress leader Renuka Chowdhary had also taken on Gadkari over his remarks.
"There is no question of BJP coming to power. Leaders should not fight with officials....If Congress has prevented him from becoming the BJP President for a second term, it shows we are so powerful", Chowdhury had told reporters.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, January 24, 2013, 23:14