Twitter spat between Rahul, Ex-Cong leaders following the former's tweet against them

While posting an image of 'Adani', Rahul placed the names of five former Congress leaders-Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiran Kumar Reddy, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Anil Antony appropriately to stand for the letters of 'Adani', in order.

Hyderabad: Stung by Rahul Gandhi's cryptic tweet on Saturday placing the names of five former Congress leaders-Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiran Kumar Reddy, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Anil Antony appropriately to stand for the letters of 'Adani', in order, former Congress leaders who have now switched to the BJP Anil K Antony and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hit back at the former Congress president on Saturday.

Taking to Twitter Anil K Antony accused Rahul of behaving more like an online troll rather than a national leader. Dubbing Rahul as the "so-called PM candidate" of Congress, Antony further alleged that stalwarts of the party had to leave Congress as they wanted to serve the country and its people and not a family.

" Sri. @RahulGandhi - This is sad to see a former President of a national party - the so-called PM candidate of the @INCIndia speak like an online/social media cell troll and not like a national leader. Very humbled to see my fledgling name also with these tall stalwarts who have contributed decades for nation building work - and had to leave the party as they preferred to work for India and our people and not for a family," tweeted Antony.

Referring to the Bofors and National Herald scams, the Assam Chief Minister said that it was their decency not to ask him where he concealed the proceeds of crime from the said scams. Sarma also threatened to take legal recourse against Rahul.

"It was our decency to have never asked you, on where have you concealed the proceeds of crime from the Bofors and National Herald Scams. And how you allowed Ottavio Quattrocchi to escape the clutches of Indian justice multiple times .Any way we will meet in the Court of Law," tweeted Sarma.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Saturday took a veiled jibe at former Congress leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyoraditya Scindia and Anil Antony, the son of veteran Congress leader A K Antony, who recently joined the BJP, for their anti-Congress remarks while continuing to attack the ruling BJP over the Adani row.

“They hide the truth, that's why they mislead everyday! The question remains the same - who has ₹20,000 crore benami money in Adani's companies?,” Rahul wrote in a tweet. The Congress leader also attached an image having the name 'Adani'.

While Azad has formed his own party after exiting from the Congress, the latter four have joined the BJP since 2015. Rahul's attack comes close on the heels of Anil Antony's criticism of the Congress after he joined the BJP on Thursday. Antony, who left the Congress red-faced by supporting the ban on the BBC documentary on PM Modi's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, accused the party of dynastic politics.

He said that he had supported the ban on the BBC documentary because it was an “attack on India's sovereignty”. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who also switched sides from the Congress to the BJP too attacked the Congress saying the party was “devoid of any ideology” and that it was working as a “traitor” against the country's interests.

Azad too targeted Rahul while launching his autobiography on Wednesday. Azad said that he had left Congress because of Rahul Gandhi.