Congress has lost all its moorings, Hariprasad's comments insult to martyrs: Ravi Shankar Prasad

New Delhi: Hitting out at the Congress after its leader BK Hariprasad alleged "match-fixing between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan" over the Pulwama attack, the BJP on Thursday said the opposition party has lost "all its moorings" under party chief Rahul Gandhi.

Hariprasad's remarks came after Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that Gandhi neither believes the Indian Air Force (IAF) nor the Supreme Court verdict and asked if he needed a certificate from Pakistan about the Rafale fighter aircraft.

"There is increasing evidence every day that under Rahul Gandhi, the Congress has lost all its moorings and is perhaps closing (sic) its future. The people of India will give a befitting reply to these obnoxious comments which are an insult to the armed forces and their sacrifices," Prasad said.

The BJP has latched onto controversial comments of several Congress leaders, including Digvijay Singh, on the Pulwama attack and subsequent Balakot air strike to corner the opposition party over the issue of nationalism in the run to the Lok Sabha elections.

"With these comments, they have insulted the forces of India, insulted the martyrdom of 40 CRPF personnel and rubbed salt on the memory of their sacrifice and their families. Above all they have rubbed salt on the profound sentiments of the orderly Indian who feel strongly for the safety and security of the country," Prasad told reporters.

Is Congress general secretary Hariprasad, with the "blessings of the party president (Rahul Gandhi)" equating India also as a "terrorist hub" along with Pakistan, he asked.

"Does he understand the consequence of his comments. It's shameful, deeply reprehensible and meanest of all as far as India's security is concerned," the law minister said.

Citing Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's interview in which he said political parties in his country were with Prime Minister Imran Khan which was not the case with India, Prasad said, "Congress is justifying those comments by seeking to weaken the morale of our security forces and insulting the sacrifices of our brave hearts."

He alleged that the comments of Congress leaders were not "accidental" but coming out by "design" on the "directions" of Gandhi. "One could never expect that a party which ruled India for more than 55 years would stoop so low under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi thereby play petty political games which seek to equate India also as a terrorist hub along with Pakistan."

The people of India will give a befitting reply to these insulting comments which are an insult to the forces and sacrifices of the martyrs, Prasad said.