Irani asks Shivkumar to consult with ‘Namazi’ Priyanka Gandhi before building Hanuman temple

Bengaluru: Union minister Smriti Irani, who dared not to utter a word against the sexual harassment allegation on one of her colleagues in the BJP government, came up with an old claim that she had seen Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi offering namaz, prompting Congress to call her a 'habitual liar'.

She recalled her old claim while responding to a media query on Karnataka Congress party president D K Shivakumar’s assurance of building a Hanuman Temple if the party comes to power in the state.

“I am telling Shivakumar that he is not becoming the CM. So it’s better if he does not make a fake promise of (building) temples. But my question is whether he checked with Mrs [Priyanka Gandhi] Vadra before making the statement. I am saying this because during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls at Amethi, I had seen her offering namaz on a road,” she said.

Irani added that individuals who practice Islam do not pray to idols or construct temples. She questioned whether D K Shivakumar could make a promise to build a temple, given his party leader's opposition to idol worship and temples.

In response, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate accused Irani of being a habitual liar and criticized her for not speaking up about the Jantar Mantar protests.

Shrinate argued that Irani was diverting attention from more pressing issues such as the 40% commission under BJP rule, inflation, and unemployment. She also claimed that Irani's repeated lies had already been exposed.

Congress emphasized that they would not allow Irani to distract from relevant issues in the election. Following the release of the Congress manifesto proposing a ban on the Bajrang Dal and other groups that disrupt communal harmony, the BJP interpreted it as an affront to Lord Hanuman.