'An own-goal Smritiji', says Shashi Tharoor after her speech in LS over no-trust motion

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said that Union Minister Smriti Irani’s response to party leader Rahul Gandhi’s 'barnstorming speech' in support of the no-confidence motion as an “own-goal”

He also said that Union Minister for Women and Child Development Irani’s speech focused entirely on what-aboutery as it indirectly supported the Opposition’s claims of the central government’s failures.

In a tweet, hailing the speech of party leader Rahul Gandhi, Tharoor said, “Lively scenes in the Lok Sabha during and following Rahul Gandhi’s barnstorming speech in support of the no-confidence motion.”

Taking a jibe at Union Minister for Women and Child Development Irani, the Congress leader said, “Smriti Irani’s response focused entirely on what-aboutery, reciting a series of incidents and atrocities, going back many decades, under Congress rule, that she claimed proved that things were just as bad earlier.”

“This line of argument indirectly supported the Opposition’s claims of GOI’s failures because all she was saying amounted to a “so what? You were bad too.” Resorting to what-aboutery is always an admission that you have no substantive refutation to offer. An own-goal, Smriti ji,” he said.

His remarks came after Rahul Gandhi spoke on Manipur violence in the Lok Sabha during his 37 minute speech tearing into the BJP and saying that "its politics has killed India in Manipur".

He also said that the Prime Minister’s arrogance is burning the whole country

Irani during her speech after Rahul Gandhi raked up several incidents of violence committed in the past, while highlighting the "failures" of previous Congress regimes

Speaking against the no-confidence motion after Rahul Gandhi's speech, she said that the crux of all the problems was dynasty politics, while listing out a series of incidents of crime against women during the 1990s' Kashmir insurgency against Kashmiri Pandits, during anti-Sikh riots of 1984, violence in Assam and even the recent incidents of violence against women in opposition-ruled states of Rajasthan and West Bengal.

She said that those speaking about the voice of India, never heard the voices of Kashmiri Pandits and victims of anti-Sikh riots.