Rahul compromised, poster boy of negative politics: Piyush Goyal

New Delhi, Feb 25 (PTI) Union minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader and his party are "compromised" and spreading "falsehood" to destabilise the country's progress at the behest of anti-India forces.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Goyal also alleged that Gandhi and the Congress are playing “petty politics” to "weaken, hurt and destabilise" the country's economy and its progress.

“He is nothing but a puppet of anti-India forces, anti-India organisations and anti-India governments. The Gandhi family is a completely compromised family and the Congress a completely compromised political party," the BJP leader said.

"Rahul Gandhi has become the poster boy of negative politics," he added.

The BJP’s charge came in the backdrop of the Congress attacking the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government over the India-US interim trade deal, calling it a "wholesale surrender" and "betrayal" of national interest.

"Narendra Modi is compromised. He has been trapped. He has signed this agreement under pressure. This is not a deal, it is an arrow in the heart of the farmer," Gandhi had said on Tuesday while addressing a 'Kisan Mahachaupal' in Bhopal.

Goyal rejected the Congress leader’s claim as "falsehood" and accused him of misleading people to destroy the country’s interest at the behest of anti-national forces.

"I have repeatedly said that the farmers’ interests have been completely safeguarded. None of the farmers will face any loss due to the trade deal. Jobs of crores of people and business also remain protected," the minister asserted.

"They (Rahul Gandhi and the Congress) are not able to bear that Modi government safeguarding farmers' interest. They are not able to see that the country is progressing at a faster pace. The Congress and the Gandhi family are completely compromised," he added.

Goyal alleged that the Gandhi family has always compromised the country's interest, starting with first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

While Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi compromised with India's interest in running the Manmohan Singh government as “super PM” through the National Advisory Council, Rajiv Gandhi also did not remain behind in compromising the country's interest during his term as the prime minister, he alleged.

"We all know how attempts were made to stop investigations into the Bofors scandal... A fair probe was not allowed to happen to save Ottavio Quattrocchi (accused in the Bofors scam)," he added.

Goyal further alleged that former prime minister Indira Gandhi had also compromised country's interest during her tenure.

"Former US Ambassador Daniel Patrick Moynihan confirmed that the CIA provided funds to the Congress for elections. The Mitrokhin Archives mentions that the KGB delivered suitcases full of money to a compromised Indira Gandhi," he charged.

"In the 1971 Shimla Agreement, 93,000 Pakistani soldiers were released without securing PoK. What forces were exerting pressure on Indira Gandhi that led to a compromise of national interest?" Goyal said.

The BJP leader alleged that Nehru also “repeatedly compromised” national interests when he was the prime minister.

“Nehru’s secretariat was an “open book” for the CIA and the KGB,” he said.

Goyal alleged that in 1954, India’s interests were compromised before China on Tibet and under the Panchsheel Agreement, Aksai Chin was ceded to China during Nehru’s tenure.

“Nehru also wrote to the United Nations advocating for China’s permanent membership in the UN Security Council, despite India itself being a claimant to that position,” he added. PTI PK PK KVK KVK