Rahul accuses Modi of disrespecting 'guru' Advani, triggers BJP anger
What's the story
For a change, Rahul Gandhi's comments have triggered anger more than laughs.
Addressing party workers in Mumbai, the Congress president accused PM Narendra Modi of disrespecting his "guru" LK Advani.
"It is me who follows protocol. I am always with (Advani) at events," he added.
Hitting back, BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni reminded him how the Congress had treated veterans Pranab Mukherjee and Sitaram Kesari.
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I was the first to visit Vajpayee: Gandhi
"I shouldn't be saying this but I'll. I feel bad for Advaniji...Everybody knows who's Modi's mentor- Advani. But the PM doesn't accord respect to him even at official functions," Gandhi said.
He also mentioned his visit to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in hospital. "Who fought against Vajpayeeji? We did. But when he's ill I was the first to meet him," Gandhi asserted.
Twitter Post
Gandhi cites Ekalavya's example to slam Modi
Ekalavya cut off his right thumb because his Guru demanded it.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 12, 2018
In the BJP, they cut down their own Gurus. Humiliating Vajpayeeji, Advaniji, Jaswant Singhji and their families is the Prime Minister’s way of protecting Indian culture. pic.twitter.com/lqUtBtj0t8
Reax
Gandhi is practicing the lowest form of politics: BJP
Lashing out, BJP's Baluni said Gandhi was practicing "the lowest form of politics."
He reminded them how days ago, several Congress leaders had criticized former president Pranab Mukherjee because he agreed to go to an RSS event.
It was Congress and its members who had humiliated former party chief Sitaram Kesari, and mistreated former PM PV Narasimha Rao, Baluni added.
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'Bizarre to see president of oldest party stoop so low'
"It was bizarre to see the president of India's oldest party stoop so low. He's violating social and political norms. He doesn't even seem to know the kind of politics he's doing. The country is watching how the president of the oldest party is behaving," Baluni said.
Details
At Mumbai, Gandhi addresses workers to uplift spirits before 2019
At the Mumbai event, Gandhi attempted to boost cadres' morale, saying a senior politician who had been fighting against Congress for 50 years had recently told him that only Congress can "keep the country safe."
He accused the BJP of ignoring unemployed youths and debt-ridden farmers while "writ(ing) off Rs. 2.5L crore loans of India's richest 15-20 people."
BJP will be ousted in 2019, he said.