NEW DELHI: Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment against his predecessor Manmohan Singh was unacceptable, Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that he will not use foul language to criticise the PM.
Modi had insinuated that Singh was colluding with Pakistan in the Gujarat polls. Following the comment, a furious Singh had demanded an apology from Modi.
“Modiji says a lot of things about me, but I will not use foul language to criticise him. His comments against the former PM are unacceptable,” said Rahul, addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, after the local authorities denied permission for his roadshow. Tuesday was also the final day of campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly elections.
Taking a dig at Modi’s anti-corruption stance, Rahul said he delayed parliament’s winter session to avoid a debate on charges against BJP chief Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah. He also accused the PM of maintaining silence over alleged irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal.
Congress sources said the comment, coming a day after Rahul was named the party president, was significant as outgoing chief Sonia Gandhi had held Singh in high esteem ever since he was made the prime minister in 2004, and then again in 2009 as Rahul was being groomed.
Appreciating Singh’s talent, Rahul has deployed him thrice during the Gujarat campaign—twice to attack Modi’s demonetisation and GST decisions and tap the unrest among the traders in Gujarat, and once to wean away urban voters from the BJP.
Rahul has claimed the Congress would win the Gujarat polls, and that the results on December 18 would be stunning. He said strengthening the party and spreading its ideology would be his priorities as the new chief.