New Delhi, Sep 11 : Congress member of Parliament Manickam Tagore has hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah who accused Rahul Gandhi of supporting divisive forces.

Tagore in a post on X said, 'Those preaching about national interest and reservations should first look at the RSS' own track record of opposing social justice.'

He added, 'Rahul Gandhi has always stood for unity and equality, while the BJP and its ideological mentors have done the opposite, dividing the nation and betraying marginalized communities. The country knows who's really messing with India's progress.'

Tagore's remark came after Amit Shah sharply criticised Rahul Gandhi for allegedly supporting divisive forces and making harmful statements about India. Rahul Gandhi is currently in the US where he is interacting with the members of the Indian community and also American leaders.

Shah earlier in a post on X said, 'Standing with forces that conspire to divide the country and making anti-national statements have become a habit for Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party. Whether it is supporting the JKNC's anti-national and anti-reservation agenda in J&K or making anti-India statements on foreign platforms, Rahul Gandhi has always threatened the nation's security and hurt sentiments.'

He further remarked, 'Rahul Gandhi's statement lays bare the Congress's politics of causing rifts on the lines of regionalism, religion, and linguistic differences.'

The Home Minister added, 'By speaking about abolishing reservations in the country, Rahul Gandhi has once again brought the Congress' anti-reservation face to the forefront. The thoughts that were in his mind eventually found their way out as words. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that as long as the BJP is there, neither can anyone abolish reservations nor can anyone mess with the nation's security.'

Earlier, during an interaction with the students and the faculty of Georgetown University in Washington DC on Tuesday, a student asked him whether there were other better ways to strengthen institutions at the grassroots level than caste-based reservation. Rahul Gandhi in his reply said, "...We will think of scrapping reservations when India is a fair place and India is not a fair place ... that way it is a problem..."

However, later he clarified that he was misquoted on the issue of reservation.

/IANS