New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS) Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of attempting to “mislead and provoke Gen Z” with what he called "fabricated" allegations of vote theft in Haryana. Rijiju asserted that India’s youth stand “firmly with Prime Minister Modi” and will not fall for “imported narratives and conspiracies”. Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here soon after Rahul Gandhi alleged that 25 lakh votes were fraudulently cast in Haryana polls, Rijiju said, “Rahul Gandhi is trying to provoke Gen Z, but the youth of this country is wise and stands by PM Modi. The games he plays in collusion with anti-India forces will never succeed.”

“While the world is facing an economic slowdown, India continues to grow at over 7 per cent, making it the fastest-growing major economy. Our youth stand solidly with Modi ji. To divert attention from this, Rahul Gandhi is playing games and attempting to defame our country, but such conspiracies will never succeed in India,” he added. He said Gandhi’s allegations were “baseless, fictional and theatrically designed to hide his failures.”  “If there is any irregularity, why does he not file a petition with the Election Commission or approach the court? He never does it. Instead, he spreads misinformation,” Rijiju remarked.

Taking a swipe at Gandhi’s foreign trips, Rijiju said, “During elections he goes abroad; during Parliament session he secretly visits Cambodia or Thailand, and now when Bihar votes in two days, he is talking about Haryana. When he goes abroad, he brings back ideas to create fake narratives here.” Referencing internal Congress voices, Rijiju cited senior leaders Kumari Selja, a former Haryana minister and state chief Rao Narender Singh admitting disunity in the party. “Their own leaders say they lost because of themselves. Who will believe Rahul Gandhi when he claims votes were stolen?”

Rijiju also slammed Gandhi’s circulation of a T-shirt carrying the photo of Minta Devi in Parliament. “By evening, the woman herself scolded Congress for using a fake photo, a fake name and a fake issue. This is their habit.” Dismissing Gandhi’s accusations as “irrelevant and irresponsible”, Rijiju concluded, “In a democracy, you must accept victory and defeat. We win because our workers toil on the ground, not because of manipulation. Rahul Gandhi should talk about serious issues, not waste the nation’s time.”