Rahul Gandhi has displayed his 'real DNA' by attacking the editor a news agency who interviewed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 1, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday. Hitting out at the Congress president for calling the journalist 'pliable', Jaitley, in his tweets questioned the silence of 'pseudo liberals'.
In an obvious reference to former PM Indira Gandhi, Jaitley called Rahul Gandhi 'the grandson of the Emergency dictator' and slammed the top Congress leader for intimidating an 'independent Editor'.
"Why are the pseudo liberals silent? Waiting for the Editors guild’s response. The Grandson of the ‘Emergency dictator’ displays his real DNA – attacks and intimidates an independent Editor," Jaitley said.
Rahul Gandhi had in his speech in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday said Modi gave a 'staged interview' on New Year's day and mocked it again at his press conference later.
"Did you see the prime minister's interview yesterday? He was laughing. Pliable journalist (was interviewing). She was questioning and also giving prime minister's answers," he said.
The BJP had demanded Rahul Gandhi's apology for terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's televison interview 'staged' and that it was conducted by a 'pliable journalist'.
In a late night statement, BJP media head Anil Baluni defended the journalist who interviewed Modi and said Gandhi's attack on the media person was reflective of the Congress' mindset about journalists in general.
"This has been the Congress' mindset about independent journalism. Rahul Gandhi's DNA is of the Emergency. His party has a history of throttling journalism. He should apologise to the country's journalists for his petty remarks," Baluni said.
WATCH: Arun Jaitley slams Rahul Gandhi for criticising PM Modi's interviewer