BHOPAL: Ten days after courting controversy with his Poha-Bangladeshi remark, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya triggered a fresh controversy on Sunday by stating publicly that “Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn’t marry owing to his nasha (intoxication) for work and patriotism.”
Addressing a gathering after flagging off the full marathon in Indore on Sunday, the former MP minister lauded the efforts of the marathon organizers to spread the message against drug addiction and drug abuse through the marathon.
He subsequently said, “Nasha (intoxication) isn’t always bad, particularly if it’s the nasha (intoxication) for work and patriotism just like Modiji (PM Modi) has intoxication for work and patriotism. But the nasha (intoxication) shouldn’t be to an extent that compelled Modiji not to marry.”
The BJP leader further said, “nasha (intoxication) should be one that is permanent and the best permanent intoxication is work and patriotism.”
Vijayvargiya’s remarks about PM Modi not marrying due to intoxication for patriotism and work triggered a political controversy with former CM and Congress’s Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh (who too was in Indore on Sunday) smilingly reacting, saying “Shaadi toh ki thi, par chhor ke chale aaye (PM Modi had married, but left his wife).”
Another Congress leader Narendra Saluja (also the media convener to CM Kamal Nath) reacted to Vijayvargiya’s statement, saying, “If Vijayvargiya’s statements about the PM are true then who is Jashodaben, is the affidavit given by the PM Modi during election false, then the PM’s election should be declared null and void.”
Importantly, ten days back, on January 23, Vijayvargiya had courted controversy by saying that strange Poha eating habits of labourers engaged in construction work at his house in Indore made him suspect that they could be Bangladeshi nationals.
Vijayvargiya’s remark on PM’s Modi’s marriage isn’t the first time any BJP leader has made such controversial utterance. In June 2018, the then Madhya Pradesh Governor and ex-Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel (presently the UP Governor) too had said that the Prime Minister was unmarried.
Patel’s public utterance had drawn sharp reaction from PM’s wife Jashodaben, who had reportedly said, “I am surprised over Anandiben telling the press that Narendra bhai was not married. He has himself mentioned in his declaration while filing papers for Lok Sabha elections in 2014 that he is married and mentioned my name in it,"
Jashodaben had added "It is very unbecoming of a well-educated woman (Anandiben, former Chief Minister of Gujarat) to speak like this of a teacher (Jashodaben). Not only this, her conduct has tarnished the image of the Prime Minister of India. He is very respectable for me, he is Ram for me."