BJP latches on to Khurshid's 'will come to save my neta' remark to attack Congress

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Friday rejected the BJPs criticism that the nationwide protests by his party were aimed at saving one family, saying the central issue was of price rise and unemployment, but asserted that he would always come out in support his leader.Talking to reporters at the AICC headquarters here, Khurshid said the Congress is fighting against the attack on the people.It is a long fight and we will continue this fight.

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Friday rejected the BJP's criticism that the nationwide protests by his party were aimed at saving one family, saying the central issue was of price rise and unemployment, but asserted that he would always come out in support his leader.

Talking to reporters at the AICC headquarters here, Khurshid said the Congress is fighting against the ''attack on the people''.

''It is a long fight and we will continue this fight. The issue is before you, there is no other bigger issue than unemployment and price rise,'' he said.

''Apart from that, you have a problem, I have a problem, freedom of speech is being snatched, they are all issues. But the main issue is of unemployment and rising prices,'' he said.

Asked about BJP leaders saying the protests were an attempt to save the family, Khurshid said, ''Who do they save, do they not have a family. Why would I come to save the family, I would come to save my 'neta', my 'neta' saves me. If they make that the definition of the family, then I have no problem.'' The BJP latched on to his remarks to attack the Congress with the saffron party's IT cell head Amit Malviya posting a video of his comments and saying, ''But were we not told that Congress is protesting to 'save democracy'?'' BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala also posted a video clip of Khurshid's remarks and said the agenda is clear as daylight.

''It is not about saving India but saving Parivar & saving Bhrashtacharis (corrupt). You save me & I save you! Bhrashtachar Bachao Andolan,'' he said in a tweet.

Malviya also tweeted a video of Congress leaders P Chidambaram, Rajiv Shukla and K C Venugopal discussing the prospect of protesting amid rains.

''Congress stalwarts doing a rethink about ‘saving democracy’ just because there is a light drizzle outside...Such feeble commitment!'' he said in a tweet and tagged the video.

Wearing black clothes, Congress leaders hit the streets on Friday to protest against price rise and unemployment with a host of them, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, being detained by police amid dramatic standoffs outside Parliament and the AICC headquarters here. Over the last few days, the party has also protested the alleged misuse of probe agencies by the government to target its top leadership.