Chandigarh, May 29: Known for making controversial statements, Haryana Cabinet Minister Anij Vij on Tuesday sparked another controversy by comparing Congress President Rahul Gandhi to Nipah virus that has claimed many lives across India.

Vij took to micro-blogging site Twitter on Sunday and said, "Rahul Gandhi is equal to Nipah virus. A political party which will come in contact with him will be finished”. In Kerala, the deadly virus has so far claimed 13 lives and preventive measures are being adopted in high-risk areas. It must be noted that the Nipah virus is transmitted to humans through infected fruit bats, pigs or other Nipah-infected persons.

Vij had sparked another controversy earlier this month when he said that Bhagat Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai made supreme sacrifice for the country, unlike Nehru and Gandhi who did not bear even a single stick.

In 2017, Vij had said the decision of making Rahul Gandhi as the Congress president would help Prime Minister Narendra Modi in making India "Congress Free." The Haryana Minister drew strong criticism after he said that it was good to know that Rahul uses the same plate to feed his dog and those who visit his home. Vij had said that Rahul doesn't discriminate between his own dog and Congress workers. Even in 2016, the Haryana Minister had made controversial statements by saying that "all Congress leaders have DNA for wrongdoings".

Reports inform that 14 people have died due to the virus so far. Nipah virus that is spread by fruit bats, causes communicable disease is fatal for both animals and humans. Acording to a report by ABI, the symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, drowsiness, respiratory illness, disorientation and mental confusion. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), these signs and symptoms can progress to coma within 24-48 hours.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2018 07:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).