Union Minister Smriti Irani has challenged Rahul Gandhi, whose Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Uttar Pradesh today, to contest from his erstwhile constituency of Amethi.

“In 2019 he left Amethi, today Amethi has left him. If he is confident, then without going to Wayanad (Mr Gandhi’s Constituency), let him fight from Amethi,” Ms Irani told NDTV.

“Amethi’s empty roads tell us what they feel about Rahul Gandhi,” said Ms Irani, who held a Jan Samwad in Amethi as part of a four-day visit to her parliamentary constituency.

Amethi used to be a Congress stronghold in the state, where Rahul Gandhi lost to the BJP leader by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 elections.

At 80 seats, Uttar Pradesh sends most number of MPs to parliament. In the last general elections, the Congress secured just one seat – Raebareli by Sonia Gandhi. While Rahul Gandhi lost in Amethi, he won by a big margin in faraway Wayanad.  

Cut to 2014, Sonia Gandhi will move to Rajya Sabha and has called on the people of Raebareli to “be with my family”.

The question is which member of the family will stand from Raebareli.

“Nobody imagined Gandhi family will leave their seat,” said Ms Irani, taking aim at the Gandhis.

The Congress is still undecided on wether Rahul Gandhi will make an attempt at regaining the Congress stronghold.

“CEC (Congress Central Election Committee) will decide on who will contest from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi has been an MP from Amethi thrice. His father Rajiv Gandhi also used to contest from Amethi. It is a very important constituency for the Congress party…,” said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.

Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally in Babuganj later in the day and stay the night in Amethi.

“Today is the 37th day of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally in Babuganj. We will stay in Amethi tonight and reach Raebareli tomorrow morning,” Jairam Ramesh added.

Responding strongly to veteran politician Ghulam Nabi Azad’s claims that he and his father had been briefed about the abrogation of Article 370, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has said that they were detained for eight months at the time while Mr Azad was the only former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister who was free. 

The claim was made by Mr Azad in an interview to a TV channel on Monday, in which he also referred to rumours that the Abdullahs had asked to be kept under house arrest themselves in 2019 so that they would not have to take a “public posture” on the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. 

The former Congress leader and now Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief went on to allege that the father and son said one thing in Srinagar and something else in Delhi, and accused them of playing a clever game

Lashing out at Mr Azad, Omar Abdullah said, “Who is azad (free) and who is ghulam (a slave), time will tell & people will decide. 

Rebutting the claims in a post on X, Mr Abdullah wrote, “Wah bhai wah Ghulam Nabi Azad, so much bile today. Where is the Ghulam that was begging us for Rajya Sabha seats in J&K as recently as 2015? ‘Abdullahs knew about 370’ yet we were detained for more than 8 months including under PSA & you were free, the only ex CM in J&K free after 5th Aug (sic).”

Wah bhai wah Ghulam Nabi Azad, so much bile today. Where is the Ghulam that was begging us for Rajya Sabha seats in J&K as recently as 2015? “Abdullahs knew about 370” yet we were detained for more than 8 months including under PSA & you were free, the only ex CM in J&K free… https://t.co/WAbK6hGB4F

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 19, 2024

The National Conference leader was referring to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act under which he, his father and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti – all former J&K chief ministers – had been detained in the run-up to, and after, the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. 

On the DPAP chief’s claims that he and his father met the PM and Home Minister secretly, Mr Abdullah claimed his father had been “thrown out” of his government bungalow when he was no longer an MP, while Mr Azad had been allowed to retain his ministerial bungalow. 

Referring to PM Modi’s speech in Parliament, when he teared up while bidding farewell to Mr Azad on his final day in the Rajya Sabha in 2022, the National Conference leader wrote. “‘Abdullahs say one thing in Kashmir & another in Delhi’ yet PM cries for you in Rajya Sabha & criticises us in every speech. Let’s not forget the Padma award for which you agreed to leave Congress & help BJP in Chenab valley. Who is azad & who is ghulam, time will tell & people will decide.”

Mr Azad had left the Congress in 2022 after writing a letter to Sonia Gandhi, stating that the situation in the party had reached a point of “no return”. He had formed the Democratic Progressive Azad Party the same year.

Ajay Devgn, Jyotika and R Madhavan are all geared up for the release of their upcoming supernatural thriller Shaitaan. Ahead of its release, Ajay and Jyotika recently shared new character posters on their social media platforms.

On Monday, Ajay took to Instagram and wrote, “Jab baat apne parivaar par aaye, tab woh har #Shaitaan se lad jaayega. Taking over cinemas on 8th March 2024.”

Meanwhile, Jyotika also wrote, “Maa uss shakti ka naam hai, jo apnon ke liye #Shaitaan ko bhi takkar dede!” In both posters, the actors have intense looks on their faces.

Shaitaan marks Jyotika’s return to Bollywood after 25 years, with her last Hindi film being the 1997 film Doli Saja Ke Rakhna. The film is produced by Ajay Devgn, Jyoti Deshpande, Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak and directed by Vikas Bahl. It is set to release on March 8, 2024.

See Also: Shaitaan teaser: R Madhavan appears sinister in the Ajay Devgn, Jyothika starrer. Watch: