'Don't be nasty towards Smriti Irani': Rahul Gandhi's appeal on X

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday asked his supporters and other detractors of former minister Smriti Irani to refrain from using derogatory language against her. In a post on X, the Congress leader said humiliating people is a sign of weakness, not strength.

Smriti Irani lost the Lok Sabha elections in Amethi. She was defeated by Rahul Gandhi's loyalist, Kishori Lal Sharma, by a margin of over 1.5 lakh votes.

"Winning and losing happen in life. I urge everyone to refrain from using derogatory language and being nasty towards Smt. Smriti Irani or any other leader for that matter. Humiliating and insulting people is a sign of weakness, not strength," he wrote on X.

It isn't clear what prompted Rahul Gandhi's appeal.

Also read: ‘How's the josh? It’s still high, Sir': Smriti Irani on Amethi Lok Sabha election defeat

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi in his stronghold, Amethi, by a margin of over 55,000 votes.

In the 2024 general elections, Rahul Gandhi contested and won the elections in Rae Bareli and Wayanad. He later relinquished the Kerala constituency.

The Congress has announced that Rahul Gandhi's sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, will contest the elections from Wayanad.

Also read: Smriti Irani loses by 1,67,196 votes in UP's Amethi constituency against Congress' Kishori Lal

After losing the polls in June, Smriti Irani thanked those who supported her.

"Such is life... A decade of my life going from one village to another, building lives, nurturing hope & aspirations, working on infrastructure - roads, naali, khadanja, bypass, medical college and more. To those who stood by me through loss and victory, I am forever grateful. To those celebrating today, congratulations. And to those asking, 'How's the josh?' I say- it's still high, Sir," she wrote on X.

On Wednesday, she vacated her official bungalow at 28 Tughlak Crescent in Lutyens' Delhi.