A fresh controversy has hit India's main opposition party Congress after the federally ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Rahul Gandhi of doing "appeasement politics" during his ongoing political campaign to "unite people of the country" on Tuesday.
Blasting Gandhi, Karnataka's BJP politician C.T. Ravi said that his "unity campaign" isn't meant to unite the country, instead, it is focused on spreading divisions in the society through its "communal march".
"From patronising a controversial Christian Pastor to glorifying the hijab, Congress co-owner Rahul Gandhi is doing everything to prove that he and his party survive on 'appeasement politics'. Bharat Jodo Yatra is nothing but a communal yatra to save the sinking 'fake Gandhis'," Ravi posted on Twitter.
The criticism came after the Congress posted a picture of Kerala's Wayanad MP (Rahul Gandhi) with a Hijab-wearing little girl.
It is the second time in as many weeks that Congress has found itself on the back foot due to its closeness with India's minorities.
Earlier, the BJP and Congress had traded barbs after controversial Catholic priest George Ponnaiah appeared to mock Hindu deities in his meeting with Gandhi in Tamil Nadu last week.
Meanwhile, the ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Yatra,' an on-foot campaign-led by Gandhi is being touted as Congress' largest public drive since independence.
Gandhi kick-started the mass contact programme earlier this month.
During his 3,570 km-long march, set to pass through 12 states and other union territories before concluding in Kashmir, Gandhi and his partymen are highlighting rising unemployment and inflation under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.