Congressman, Imran Masood who was jailed last year for a hate speech against Narendra Modi during the campaign for the national election, stood next to Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, when Gandhi launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While Masood’s presence at Gandhi’s Padyatra became a reason of suspicion, he said, “I am not communal. I have apologised for my mistake. But those in the BJP who have made hate speeches have not apologized.”
He had targeted foreign tours of Modi, accusing him of neglecting the plight of farmers in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi had also called on state’s chief minister Akilesh Yadav for helping them.
After Masood’s arrest in April last year, Congress had maintained a distance from his comments and Rahul Gandhi during a campaign speech in Saharanpur disapprovingly said,”local candidate using harsh towards about the opposition. This is not the Congress way”.
Masood, who was later released on bail, was the Congress candidate from Saharanpur for the national election.
“You claimed to belong to the new generation and promised to change Uttar Pradesh. You still have one-and-a-half years’ time to change Uttar Pradesh. Go to the farmers and get the sugarcane issue done, give money to farmers, start the sugar mills and provide jobs to youth,” he said.