Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka are 'live petrol bombs', says Haryana Minister Anil Vij

Haryana minister Anil Vij on Tuesday (December 24) said that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are "live petrol bombs" as they ignite fire wherever they go and cause loss to public property.

Image Courtesy: Twitter/@INCIndia

In a controversial statement, Haryana minister Anil Vij on Tuesday (December 24) said that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are "live petrol bombs" as they ignite fire wherever they go and cause damage to public property.

"Beware of Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as they are live petrol bombs, wherever they go they ignite fire and cause loss to public property," Vij tweeted.

Beware of @priyankagandhi and @RahulGandhi as they are live Petrol Bombs where ever they go they ignite fire and cause loss to Public Property.

— ANIL VIJ MINISTER HARYANA (@anilvijminister) December 24, 2019

The senior BJP leader made the statement hours after both Rahul and Priyanka were stopped by the Uttar Pradesh Police outside Meerut's border when they were going to meet meet the families of the victims of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests. 

Congress leaders alleged that both Rahul and Priyanka were turned back from Partapur, outside Meerut. Talking to media, Rahul Gandhi later said that he and Priyanka were not shown any order but were asked by Uttar Pradesh police to go back. "We told the police that only three of us would go but they did not agree," he said. Rahul and Priyanka were accompanied by former Member of Parliament Pramod Tiwari.

Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Meerut Ajay Sahni said that Rahul and Priyanka were shown the copy of the prohibitory orders clamped in the district and they "went back on their own". Sahni defended the police's action saying the visit of Congress leaders to Meerut would have led to violation of Section 144 and created tension.

It may be recalled that the protests against amended Citizenship Act turned violent in Meerut last week and two persons were killed as a result of the clash between the police and the protesters. Huge protests erupted in several parts of the country last week over the new legislation which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists, and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.