JAIPUR: An FIR has been registered in Jaipur against senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar over allegedly objectionable remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Aiyar had visited Jaipur on March 14 to deliver a public lecture titled “The future of India: Pseudo-Hinduism or Secular Bharat?” at a local college. During the event, he attempted to clarify a controversial statement he made about the Prime Minister in 2017. Aiyar said his remarks were aimed at Modi’s character and not his caste, claiming the statement had later been distorted.
However, after a video of the event surfaced online, the old controversy resurfaced, triggering sharp political reactions. The atmosphere in Jaipur heated up, with workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party staging a protest at Gandhi Circle and raising slogans against Aiyar.
BJP leaders said using derogatory language against the Prime Minister amounts to an insult to the dignity of the nation and demanded that Aiyar issue a public apology. Several party leaders and workers participated in the protest, including state general secretaries Shravan Singh Bagdi and Bhupendra Saini, former MP Ramcharan Bohra, former chairperson of the Women’s Commission Suman Sharma and BJYM state president Shankar Gora.
Meanwhile, a local resident, Babulal Tanwar, has filed a complaint at the Gandhinagar police station alleging that Aiyar used indecent and derogatory language while referring to the Prime Minister during the event held at the Kanodia College campus. The complaint states that the remarks were made with the deliberate intent of creating social discord and hurting public sentiments and were later circulated on social media.
Tanwar has also alleged that the statement was part of a larger conspiracy involving the Congress’s national and state-level office-bearers. Police officials said the evidence is currently being examined while considering the seriousness of the allegations.
Responding to the controversy, Aiyar denied making any casteist remarks. He reiterated that his comments were directed at the Prime Minister’s character and not his caste.
According to Aiyar, he never referred to Modi as belonging to a “lower caste” but had used the phrase “low-class person” in reference to his behaviour. He claimed his remarks were misrepresented and later circulated as a casteist slur.
The former Union Minister also said he never claimed that a tea seller could not become Prime Minister, adding that such statements had been falsely attributed to him. According to Aiyar, he had only made a satirical remark about the Prime Minister’s understanding of history. He said he had raised the question of how individuals lacking a basic understanding of history could shoulder the responsibilities of such a high office.
Aiyar further claimed that he had questioned the narrative about Modi selling tea at the Vadnagar railway station, stating that there was no railway platform in Vadnagar until 1973.