Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after the latter compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to outgoing US President Joe Biden over memory loss, saying Gandhi should not be taken seriously.

The senior BJP leader expressed confidence that the people of Maharashtra would support the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the upcoming state Assembly elections on November 20.

“The way Rahul Gandhi speaks, nobody takes him seriously. I think people should not take his remarks seriously,” Gadkari said while speaking to PTI.

Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, on Saturday took a swipe at the Prime Minister, saying Modi is suffering from memory loss like the outgoing United States president.

During an election rally in Maharashtra’s Amravati on Saturday, Gandhi said: “My sister was telling me that she listened to PM Modi’s speech. She said that these days Modi ji is essentially repeating whatever we say. Perhaps he has suffered memory loss. Like the former President of America. He used to forget things and had to be reminded from behind about what to say, and what not to.”

The Rae Bareli MP commented on the incident where Biden mistakenly called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “President Putin” during the NATO summit held in Washington in July.

Gadkari, responding to Gandhi’s allegations about PM Modi suffering from memory loss like Biden, hit out at the Congress leader for speaking irresponsibly.

On Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s dissent regarding Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s ‘batenge toh katenge’ remark, which suggested increasing tensions within the Mahayuti alliance, Gadkari downplayed the issue, stating, “First of all, we are different parties, and it is not necessary that we share the same opinion.”

He elaborated that “the media also distorts what is said. This creates misconceptions. The call for unity was to unite against terrorism and Naxalism”.

On being asked about the challenges confronting the Mahayuti alliance following its less-than-stellar performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Gadkari attributed the results to the confusion propagated by the Opposition. “A narrative was created that if we win 400-plus seats, we will amend the Constitution drafted by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.”

Gadkari strongly denied these assertions, saying, “There is no question of changing the Constitution. We will neither do it, nor allow others to do it. Now people have realised that the campaign by the opposition during the Lok Sabha polls was based on lies, and they have decided to support with positivity the Mahayuti in Maharashtra under PM Modi’s leadership.”

Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit violence-hit Manipur, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that the recent string of violent clashes and continuing bloodshed in Manipur is deeply disturbing.

The former Congress chief urged the Prime Minister to work towards restoring peace and healing in the Valley.  

“After more than a year of division and suffering, it was the hope of every Indian that the Central and State governments would have made every effort at reconciliation and found a solution,” Gandhi said in a post on X.

On Friday night, three bodies, believed to belong to six individuals who had gone missing from the Jiribam district, were found near the confluence of the Jiri and Barak rivers along the Manipur-Assam border.

Following the development, the residences of two Ministers and three MLAs were attacked by protesters in Manipur’s Imphal on Saturday. The protesters were seeking justice for the murder of three persons in the Jiribam district.

In view of the situation, the government suspended internet services in seven districts, and a curfew was imposed. A mob also attacked the residence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Sapam Ranjan in the Lamphel Sanakeithel area.

In the Sagolband area, agitators gathered outside the residence of BJP legislator RK Imo, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, expressing demands for an appropriate response from the government regarding the killings and urging authorities to arrest the culprits within 24 hours.

The protesters who went to meet with independent legislator Sapam Nishikanta Singh at his residence on Tiddim Road vandalised the office of a local newspaper owned by him after knowing he was out of state. The mob reportedly destroyed several temporary structures in front of the office.

Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Churachandpur were the districts where the internet services were suspended for two days, as per the reports.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday, citing recent controversies facing the party and unfulfilled promises.  

In his resignation letter to Chief Minister Atishi, Gahlot, the MLA from Najafgarh, tendered his resignation from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect.

In a separate letter to AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Gahlot also tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the party.

Gahlot claimed the party was facing embarrassing and awkward controversies such as ‘Sheshmahal’, a reference to Kejriwal’s former residence.

Gahlot, a prominent AAP leader, alleged that instead of fighting for the rights of the people, the AAP was busy fighting for its own agenda which has crippled delivery of basic services in Delhi.

On the resignation of Gahlot, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh alleged that his resignation is a part of BJP’s dirty politics and conspiracy. “BJP government conducted ED raids on him. Income Tax raids were conducted at his residence for several days. BJP put an allegation of Rs 112 crores on him. Pressure was created on him due to which Kailash Gahlot had to take this step. He did not have any option other than joining BJP,” he added.

AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said: “Two of their (BJP) big leaders are joining us today. Since there are elections, all this will keep happening. Elections are underway and the conspiracies of BJP have started.”

Meanwhile, BJP leader Nalin Kohli said, “In his resignation letter, Kailash Gehlot has raised some serious issues. He is pointing out that the situation of pollution in the Yamuna has only worsened under the AAP and its so-called governance model When their accountability is questioned, they immediately start making excuses and deflect from the point. There is a huge difference between what they promised and what they’ve done.”