Former cabinet minister and senior Congress leader, Rajendra Bhandari has termed the viral audio in which he purportedly made casteist remark as doctored and malicious. In the audio, Bhandari while talking to a woman is ostensibly saying that both BJP and Brahmins should be prevented from coming to the power. The audio evoked strong reaction from various quarters with BJP going on an attacking mode on the Congress party on the issue.

Talking to The Pioneer, Bhandari said that the audio is doctored and is being circulated with an objective to malign his image. “In my political and social life I have worked for all sections of the society and have never discriminated on the basis of caste and religion. It is a ploy by the BJP to tarnish my image,’’ he said.

When asked to comment on the episode, the spokesperson of the Uttarakhand Congress, Garima Dasauni said that the authenticity of the viral audio should be checked before making any comment on

it. Criticising the BJP for making an issue of the audio, she said that the party has no moral authority to talk on the matter.

Dasauni said that the BJP should first take cognizance of plethora of objectionable audios and videos against its leaders.

“BJP should comment on the viral video of OSD of chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, highly objectionable comments made by BJP leader Vinay Goyal against SCs, the audio clip in which BJP MLA Surendra Singh Jeena is offering favour to a person in lieu of support and the clips of Rajkumar Thukral,’’ she said.

Meanwhile, the BJP spokesperson Devendra Bhasin has strongly criticised the statement given by the Congress leader Bhandari in the viral audio against the Brahmin community.

He said that the audio is a clear proof of Congress party’s politics of creating divisions in the society.