'Pathetic and vile': Kishan Reddy slams Rahul Gandhi over remarks on Arun Jaitley, says late FM died before farm laws; demands apology

NEW DELHI: Union minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for claiming that the late Union finance minister Arun Jaitley was sent by the NDA government to "threaten" him over his opposition to the farm laws .

Taking to X, Reddy said Rahul Gandhi’s remarks were "pathetic and vile," accusing him of politicising the memory of deceased leaders for personal gain. “Shri Arun Jaitley passed away in August 2019, and the farm laws were introduced only in 2020. To maliciously sully those who are no more in our midst for political point-scoring is a low blow,” he wrote.

The BJP leader demanded that the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha issue an unconditional apology to Jaitley’s family. “Not the first time that Rahul Gandhi has resorted to such nasty politics. When Manohar Parrikar was terminally ill, he politicised his visit into a statement on the Rafale defence deal,” Reddy added.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬’ 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐭

Rahul Gandhi dragging in the deceased for his own selfish politics is not just pathetic but vile. Shri Arun Jaitley passed away in August 2019 and the farm laws were introduced only in 2020. To maliciously sully those who are… https://t.co/mxeY64FuxE

— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) August 2, 2025

Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a gathering earlier in the day, said: “I remember when I was fighting the farm laws, Arun Jaitley was sent to me to threaten me... He told me, ‘If you carry on opposing the government, we will have to act against you.’ I looked at him and said, ‘I don’t think you have an idea who you are talking to.’”

Rahul’s statement has triggered sharp reactions from BJP leaders, who accused him of distorting facts and disrespecting the legacy of Arun Jaitley.