Rahul Gandhi lacks capability, seriousness to lead Congress party: BJP

New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday hit out at Rahul Gandhi, saying he lacked "capability" and "seriousness" to lead the Congress party and had "only friability and flippancy", a day after he created a flutter in the Lok Sabha by hugging Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the debate on the no-trust vote against the government.

"Congress president Rahul Gandhi has showcased to the country that he is unequal to the task, he is not capable of leading the party. He lacks the gravitas, the seriousness and the kind of responsibility that comes with the political office. Friability and flippancy are not a virtue in politics and he seems to have only friability and flippancy and none of the qualities required to lead even a political party like the Indian National Congress," BJP's national spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told reporters in New Delhi.

After tearing into the NDA government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a host of issues during his speech in Lok Sabha on Friday, Gandhi had walked across the aisle to where the prime minister was sitting and hugged him, taking everyone by surprise. The prime minster shook Gandhi's hands but ignored his call to stand so that he could hug the BJP leader.

The Congress chief, however, embraced him as he remained seated. In his speech, Rahul accused the prime minister of unleashing "jumla strike" on people in the form of demonetisation, joblessness, Rafale deal, poor state of economy, mob violence, lynching, and incidents of alleged atrocities on Dalits and women.

Reacting to the events in the House, Rao said Rahul lacked capability, commitment, consistence, compassion and credibility which are required in a political leader. He said the defeat of the opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion exposed the fissures in the grand alliance "that they were tom-toming" about and the opposition unity lay in "tatters" today.

"In the no-confidence motion taken up in Lok Sabha yesterday, the attempt of expressing the no-confidence in council of ministers actually turned out to be a veritable no-confidence in the opposition leaders," he said. While 126 members supported the motion, 325 voted against it.