Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani said if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi considers himself secular then he should not fight in the name of religion, but on the basis of issues.

During a session on the News18 Rising Bharat Summit, Irani said the destination of a nation cannot be decided by a man who is scared of defeat in Amethi.

Amethi in Uttar Pradesh was long considered a bastion of the Gandhi family, till Rahul Gandhi lost the seat to Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"It is not the first time that he has given any statement against my religion, Hinduism, but I believe that if he is secular, then he should not fight in the name of religion, but fight on the basis of issues," she said.

Irani said that while victory and loss are inherent to electoral politics, true leadership is demonstrated by standing firm on one's beliefs and principles.

The BJP leader criticised the alleged glorification of poverty and martyrdom by Gandhi and recounted her own challenging journey in Amethi, and talked about lack of support initially.

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