Modi tagged as Modern-day Aurangzeb by Sanjay Nirupam

VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been described as the "modern-day Aurangzeb" by the Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam. As Aurangzeb had destroyed hundreds of temples in Varanasi. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra compared the Prime Minister to "Duryodhana", who is the key villain of the epic Mahabharata.

On Tuesday, Sanjay Nirupam had told the reporters, "After coming to Varanasi, I saw that hundreds of temples have been destroyed in the city. There is also a newly-imposed Rs 550 fee for the darshan of Lord Vishwanath. I feel that Prime Minister Modi is a modern-day Aurangzeb. He has succeeded in destroying those temples which the people of Banaras defended even during the peak of Aurangzeb's cruel regime. I condemn the modern-day Aurangzeb who has imposed a jizya (tax) on devotees for visiting their lord. The irony is Narendra Modi talks about protecting Hindu beliefs and rights and pulls down temples. I condemn his acts."

"BJP has now come on the back foot because we revealed the truth that surgical strikes took place even under Congress rule. The power of Indian Army during our rule was so much that we were able to split Pakistan into two," he added

Sanjay Nirupam also targeted BJP for the comments made by PM Modi on the former PM Rajiv Gandhi. "We are ready to fight elections in the name of the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The day he (PM Modi) took Rajiv ji''s name, he ensured Smriti Irani will lose Amethi by at least two and a half lakh votes," he said.