Nadda, Rajnath target Cong for using 'abusive' words against Modi

Ahmedabad: On the eve of the Gujarat Assembly polls' first phase, the BJP on Wednesday intensified its attack on the Congress over its president Mallikarjun Kharge's 'Ravan' jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said people will give a befitting reply to the Opposition party.

During a roadshow here, BJP president J P Nadda said Kharge's barb and another Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry's 'aukat' remark at Modi expose the party's mindset and betray its frustration as the party stands nowhere while the BJP is getting one-sided support across the state.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters that the people of Gujarat will give a befitting reply to those using abusive words for the prime minister who, he asserted, is Gujarat's "honour and pride". Nadda alleged that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been unable to reconcile themselves to accepting Modi as prime minister and often used objectionable comments against him.

Their party's leaders have taken cue from them in targeting Modi, he said. "Any leader using such a language in democracy should be ashamed. People of India love and trust Modi," the BJP chief said.

Addressing a poll rally in Gujarat on Monday, Kharge had said the prime minister asks people to vote "looking at his face" in all elections. "Are you 100-headed like Ravan?" he had asked.

The BJP dubbed Kharge's remarks an insult to the people of Gujarat. Kharge's "Ravan" remark against Modi reflects the mentality of the "entire Congress leadership", Singh said. "Modi is Gujarat's honour and pride in the 21st Century. And today, foul language is being used by the Congress for our prime minister," he said.

Voting for 89 of 182 Assembly constituencies in Gujarat will be held on Thursday in the first phase. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters that Kharge's comments showed that the Congress has accepted defeat and it has no counter to "Modi's model of development".

It is ironical that those who questioned the existence of Lord Ram are using the 'Ravan' barb against the prime minister who eradicated the "blot" of hundreds of years by launching the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, he said, attacking the opposition party. Singh said other opposition parties are also trying to level baseless allegations against the prime minister. Using abusive words for anyone does not reflect a healthy democracy, he said.

"The Prime Minister's post is not just a person, it is an institution. I am confident the people of Gujarat will give a befitting reply to those who had used abusive words for the prime minister, who is Gujarat's honour and pride," Singh added.

The BJP also posted on social media a collage of various controversial comments made by Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi's "maut ke saudagar" remark in 2007, targeting Prime Minister Modi.