Modi’s comment on ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi shocks nation

Resmi Sivaram/Agencies

India was left in shock at the weekend after the prime minister chose to attack martyred predecessor Rajiv Gandhi in the most undignified terms. Narendra Modi said in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday that Rajiv Gandhi, assassinated by Tamil Tiger terrorists, had died as a “brashtachari” or corrupt man.

“Your father was termed ‘Mr Clean’ by his courtiers, but his life ended as ‘Bhrashtachari No 1’,” he told Rajiv’s son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Even as a shocked nation saw signs of desperation in the statement, Rahul Gandhi tweeted a dignified response that drew much admiration.

Rahul said: “Modi ji, the battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won’t protect you.” “All my love and a huge hug,” he told Modi.

Priyanka Gandhi was a bit more explicit. Condemning the prime minister for his remarks, she said Modi had “insulted the martyrdom of a righteous and holy man in his unbridled craze.”

“The Prime Minister, who is seeking votes in the name of martyrs, yesterday disrespected the martyrdom of a noble man. The reply will be given by the people of Amethi for whom Rajiv Gandhi gave his life. Yes Modi ji, this nation never forgives treachery,” Priyanka tweeted.

Her husband Robert Vadra called Modi’s comments “gutter politics.”

“Verbally attacking Rajiv Gandhi shows moral degradation. This ‘gutter’ politics demands strict condemnation. Using humiliating words for Rajiv ji shows lack of basic civility. I took baseless accusations on me bravely, but my heart bleeds at deplorable statements made against Rajiv Gandhi.”

Non-Congress opposition leaders like Akhilesh Yadav and Arvind Kejriwal condemned Modi, but Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati went a step further and told her supporters to vote for the Congress in Monday’s election. Rahul’s constituency Amethi and Sonia Gandhi’s Rae Bareli vote on Monday.

“To defeat the BJP, our coalition will vote for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli,” Mayawati said.

Observers see the crash of the prime minister under unrelenting attacks by the Congress over the Rafale fighter jet deal. “By hurling abuses, you cannot turn the 50 long years of Modi’s tapasya (struggle) into dust,” he said.

“By tarnishing my image and by making me look small, these people want to form an unstable and a weak government in the country,” he said.

And obviously he was lying too, because Rajiv had received a clean bill in the Bofors scandal. The Delhi High Court had said there was no evidence that he accepted bribes. It eventually dismissed all charges against the accused persons in the politically sensitive case.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar slammed Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka for their “violent reaction” to Modi’s remarks. “Congress is getting desperate as eight out of ten people support PM Modi,” he said.

“I am surprised to see the violent reaction of both sister and brother (referring to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi) on a true statement made by Prime Minister. Rahul Gandhi is calling names and cursing Modi because of dynast arrogance, and think power is their birth right.”

“They (Congress) are playing politics of abuses. Gandhi’s are rattled and they can’t tolerate it. Rajiv Gandhi defended the 1984 riots. People of the country know everything. After four phases of polling, it is clear that Congress is losing this election,” he said.

In an attempt to dent the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) vote bank, Rahul criticised Modi for making false promises, like depositing Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts of people and creating over 2 crore jobs.

“In last Lok Sabha elections, Modi had promised to provide 2 crore jobs every year, deposit Rs 15 lakh in the bank accounts of people and bring ‘ache din’. What happened to them,” he asked.

Ridiculing Modi’s claim on development, he said was the BJP responsible for growth of cities like Gurugram? “It’s the people of the country who are responsible for this development,” he said.

He also raised the issue of Rafeal jet purchase deal, demonetisation and the goods and services tax GST fiasco. Gandhi was addressing an election rally in support of Congress candidate Ajay Singh Yadav.

In his 30-minute speech, Gandhi said, “He is ‘chowkidar’ but not for the poor. He is the ‘chowkidar’ of his corporate friends, like Anil Ambani, Mehul Chowksi, Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya.”