CONG DEFENDS SURJEWALA OVER ‘BRAHMIN DNA’ REMARK

NEWDELHI: The Congress defended on Wednesday senior leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, who said at a seminar that the “Brahmin Samaj’s DNA” was in the party’s blood.

Addressing a state-level Brahmin seminar on September 2 in Haryana’s Kurukshetra, Surjewala also likened Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s “fight” with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to the one between “gods and demons”.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress had the DNA of a “chameleon which changes colour that suits its political ambitions”.

With the BJP taking up the issue, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi came out in support of his party colleague. “...you just attack for the sake of attacking, have we not had an ‘OBC Sammelan’, have you not had an ‘SC/ST Sammelan’, have you not a ‘Brahmin Sammelan’ earlier?” Singhvi told the media.

Singhvi also said the BJP’s attack on Gandhi’s Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was out of desperation and fear.

Congress president Gandhi is on week-long Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. He posted photos of his trip on Twitter on Wednesday. “The waters of lake Mansarovar are so gentle, tranquil and calm. They give everything and lose nothing. Anyone can drink from them. There is no hatred here. This is why we worship these waters in India,” read the accompanying text. AGENCIES