Congress chief Rahul Gandhi would by no means grow to be the Prime Minister of India, former BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla stated on Wednesday, days after resigning from the social gathering.
“Rahul Gandhi won’t ever be PM of India until I’m alive,” Poonawalla wrote on X. “Tareeka badla hai, maqsad nahi” (The tactic has modified, not the target). He was responding to a submit that learn, “Shehzad Poonawala continues to be destroying Congress left proper & centre.”
Poonawalla started his political journey as a Congress volunteer round 2008 whereas he was nonetheless a pupil. He later served as vice-president of the Pune unit of the social gathering’s pupil wing, the Nationwide College students’ Union of India (NSUI), and as secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.
He broke ties with the Congress in 2017 after criticising the social gathering’s inner presidential election course of, alleging that it was “rigged” in favour of Rahul Gandhi. He joined the BJP the identical yr.
Shehzad Poonawalla’s ‘Rajiv Gandhi’ comment
Poonawalla additionally took a dig at Rahul Gandhi whereas referring to his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
On X, he stated, “Endlessly indebted to Shri Rajiv Gandhi ji He gave us @RahulGandhi who ensured PM [Narendra Modi] turned PM in 2014,19,24 and can grow to be PM once more in 2029 Inshallah Rajiv Gandhi, is subsequently the largest Modi ji supporter like me.”
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In one other submit, Poonawalla warned Rahul Gandhi, writing, “No filter now – [Rahul Gandhi] be prepared”, whereas responding to a submit by Jaipur Dialogues that includes an interview with him.
Why Poonawalla resigned from BJP
Poonawalla submitted his resignation to BJP nationwide president Nitin Nabin for a second time on Monday and requested him to simply accept it. He additionally shared his resignation letter on X. He cited “urgent monetary and private circumstances” for his choice.
He stated he wanted to discover new avenues as a result of his present function didn’t present him with an earnings.
“I need to pay my rent. My landlord is not going to give me free rent because I’m from the BJP. He is asking me for lease on the first. Political events do not pay karyakartas (staff),” he informed NDTV.
He stated political events didn’t pay their spokespersons and that he had mentioned resigning or transferring to the non-public sector since 2024.
“Me desirous to resign or transferring to a non-public area has been a dialog since 2024,” he stated. The “24X7, 365 days a year” function was not sustainable to him, he stated.
Poonawalla on return to Congress
Poonawalla additionally revisited his earlier remarks concerning the Congress and his return to the social gathering. He had stated he would contemplate rejoining the Congress provided that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been faraway from the social gathering management.
“Some individuals in Congress began believing that I’m setting phrases to come back again and began blabbering right here,” he had stated whereas responding to a Hindustan Times report on his remarks.
Poonawalla stated earlier, “I’ll be a part of the Congress on one situation: Take away Rahul Gandhi, take away Sonia Gandhi, take away Priyanka Vadra, apologise for Nehru’s actions.”
He additionally dominated out becoming a member of one other political social gathering. “Having served because the nationwide spokesperson of the world’s largest democratic social gathering, do you suppose I’ll accept another social gathering? The BJP is the very best social gathering that India has at this second,” he informed NDTV.
‘Rahul Gandhi was a Pappu, is a Pappu’
In his newest assault, Poonawalla stated, “Rahul Gandhi Was a Pappu, Rahul Gandhi is a Pappu. Rahul Gandhi will perpetually stay a Pappu.”
He additionally shared a clip of a tv interview with former Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha and attacked the Congress over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “dimagi Naxal” comment in his Independence Day speech.
“Modi is completely fallacious to classify of us as DIMAGI NAXAL. They need to have been referred to as बददिमगी [brainless] Naxal,” he stated.
Poonawalla’s resignation got here after he modified his X bio on July 31 and eliminated references to the BJP. He nonetheless stored “Lifelong follower of PM Narendra Modi” as a descriptor.
