Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar of giving “supari” (contract) to Pakistan to get him “removed” to ensure India-Pakistan peace.
Addressing a public rally in Bhabhar in poll-bound Gujarat, Modi was reacting to Mani Shankar’s controversial remark that the PM was a “neech aadmi” (base). The comment triggered a major political storm.
“There is a senior leader in the Congress, Mani Shankar Aiyar… He told Pakistan that in order to ensure peace between India and Pakistan, Modi must be removed,” he said.
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“What does removing someone mean? What did he mean by removing me from the way? Did he go there to give my supari to Pakistan?” added Modi.
“And what is my crime… That we have the blessings of the people,” he said further.
Aiyar had in November 2015 told a Pakistani television channel that talks between India and Pakistan can only move forward if Modi is removed from his post.
With a day before the first phase of Gujarat Assembly polls, the BJP is in no mood to end the controversy despite the Congress suspending Mani Shankar Aiyar from its primary membership and slapping a show cause notice on him.
Earlier, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi deprecated Aiyar’s language against the Prime Minister and asked him to apologize, which the former Union Minister did, claiming his knowledge of Hindi was not good. Aiyar clarified that he never called Modi a “low born”.
As Aiyar’s remarks that Modi was a “neech aadmi” (low-life) in the context of his criticism of the Congress vis-a-vis B.R. Ambedkar snowballed, the Prime Minister referred to it in an election meeting in Surat and attacked the Congress leader, saying he had called him a “neech jaati” (low caste).
With Modi set to address three more rallies in Kalol, Vatva and Himatnagar through the day, the issue will remain on the front burner for the BJP and especially Modi.
The two-phase Gujarat assembly elections will take place on December 9 and 14, while the results will be out on December 18.
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