Jyotiraditya Scindia's swift and scathing response to Rahul Gandhi's 'BJP backbencher' jibe

"It would have been a different situation had Rahul Gandhi been concerned the same way as he is now, when I was in the Congress," Jyotiraditya Scindia was quoted by news agency ANI.

Scindia had been dissatisfied with the party affairs in Madhya Pradesh for more than a year. Apparently, he wanted to resolve the issues with the intervention of Gandhis but failed to get an appointment with Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi for months, the media had reported. He left his party of 19 years in March last year, triggering an exodus which led to the downfall of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh and return of BJP's Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the chief minister.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had said on Monday, Scindia would have become a Chief Minister had he stayed with the Congress but instead became a backbencher in the BJP,

While speaking to the youth wing of the party, NDTV quoting sources reported Gandhi as saying: "He (Scindia) would have become the Chief Minister had he stayed with Congress but has become a backbencher in the BJP."

"Scindia had the option to strengthen the organisation by working with Congress workers. I told him - One day you will become the Chief Minister. But he chose another route," said the former Congress chief.

"Write it down, he will never become Chief Minister there. He will have to come back here for that," Gandhi further went on to say, reported the channel quoting sources.

Scindia had resigned from the Congress party and joined the BJP in March last year.

Gandhi asked his youth party members to fight against the ideology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and not be afraid of anyone.