Mani Shankar Aiyar, who has called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “neech aadmi” in a new attack, earned a rivalry from the Prime Minister, who said at an election rally in Gujarat, “They can call me neech(low), but I will keep doing oonche (high) work.” Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi asked Mr Aiyar to apologise to the Prime Minister.
Mr Aiyar has been suspended from the primary membership of the Congress and served show-cause notice for his controversial remarks.
The Congress, PM Modi said as campaigning ended for the first phase of assembly elections, has insulted his home state Gujarat. “Gujarat will reply,” he said, also stating, “Yes, I am from the poor section of society and will spend every moment of my life working for the poor, Dalits, Tribals and OBC communities. They can keep their language, we will do our work.”
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The Prime Minister described Mr Aiyar’s comment as an example of the Congress’ “Mughal values that teach to demean castes and talk about upper and lower castes.”
Today Mani Shankar Aiyar said, “Ye aadmi bahut neech kisam ka aadmi hai, is mein koi sabhyata nahi hai, aur aise mauke par is kisam ki gandi rajniti karne ki kya avashyakta hai?” He was referring to an attack by PM Modi earlier in the day on the Gandhis while inaugurating an international centre named after Dalit icon BR Ambedkar in Delhi.
Amid widespread condemnation he said, apologising for he called his poor command of Hindi, “I meant low level when I said ‘neech’, I don’t think he is low born…if it has some other meaning then I apologise.”
“Mani Shankar Aiyar is mentally not fit,” said loyal Congress ally Lalu Prasad Yadav.
