PM Modi 'Embarrasses' Congress With Damaad Talk

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday triggered a damaad (son-in-law) debate after he obliquely referred to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law as an ‘embarrassment’, in comparison to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, whose father-in-law was an ex-Congress stalwart in J&K.

Modi was in Jammu on a whistle-stop visit to attend the centenary celebrations of late Girdhari Lal Dogra, who was Jammu and Kashmir’s finance minister for a record 27 years.

“I’m very sure that Girdhari Lalji’s judgement of character was very sharp, it shows in his choice of son-in-law,” the Prime Minister said in his address after taking part in a photo exhibition on the life of Dogra at Zorawar Singh auditorium in Jammu University.

He said Jaitley held on to his own political beliefs and never used his father-in-law’s clout. “Otherwise we all know what embarrassment sons-in-law have become for their in-laws nowadays,” he said, taking a dig at Vadra, though he didn’t name him.

Less than hour later, reacting sharply to Modi’s jibe, Rahul Gandhi shot back with a series of barbs at him and the BJP, in Jaipur.