'Aurangzeb Raj': Modi slams Rahul's elevation as Cong chief
The PM also attacked the Congress over corruption during its rule, and spoke about clean governance under him in Gujarat and at the Centre.
New Delhi: As decks were cleared for Rahul Gandhi’s elevation to the post of Congress chief, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the party, likening the Gandhi scion’s imminent rise to “Aurangzeb Raj” and the line of succession in Congress to Mughal rule.
Campaigning in Valsad, Gujarat, Mr Modi had said: “I congratulate the Congress on their ‘Aurangzeb Raj.’ For us, the well-being of the people matters and 125 crore Indians are our high command”.
Mr Modi said he had taken his cue from senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s comment on Mughal rule shortly after Mr Gandhi filed his nomination papers at the Congress headquarters this morning.
Quoting Mr Aiyar, the Prime Minister said: “Mani Shankar Aiyar asked, ‘Did elections happen during Mughal rule? After Jehangir, Shahjahan came, was any election held? After Shahjahan it was understood Aurangzeb will be the leader’. So the Congress accepts it’s a family party? We don’t want this Aurangzeb rule.”
Mr Aiyar clarified later that his comment was a retort to the BJP’s allegation of dynastic rule in the Congress and was intended to “contrast the dynastic succession under the Mughals with the democratic process” of electing the Congress chief. He said that the Prime Minister had misquoted him.
Mr Aiyar apparently referred to Aurangzeb when he was asked about rebel Congress member from Maharashtra, Shehzad Poonawala, who last week alleged that elections within the party were “rigged”. Mr Aiyar contested Poonawalla’s allegation saying anyone from the Congress could contest the party president election, reported IANS news agency.
“When Shah Jahan came in the place of Jahangir did any election happen? And when Aurangzeb came in place of Shah Jahan did any election happen? It was known to everyone that the throne of the king will automatically go to the heir... But in a democracy elections are held. I openly invite Poonawala to file the nomination and contest,” Mr Aiyar had said.
Mr Modi claimed that the Congress has abandoned all public modesty and is going to make a person who is out on bail in corruption case its president, apparently referring to the National Herald case.
Mr Modi also took potshots at Rahul Gandhi over his frequent visits to temples during the poll campaign. “In earlier days, there used to be a competition to show how secular they are. If one says that I am secular, the other will say he is four kg more secular, the third will say he is six kg ore secular and the fourth would claim he is 10 kg more secular”.
Mr Modi reached out to Muslims saying that even the Congress has accepted that the BJP is not an anti-Muslim party, as unlike in the past elections, it is not branding BJP leaders communal this time.
“If you remember 2002, 2007, 2012 (polls), all Congress leaders would brand us as communal and anti-Muslim. But before the 2017 polls, no leader is saying that BJP is communal. This means the Congress has also accepted that the abuse they were hurling against the BJP was false and was meant for vote bank politics,” he said.
The Prime Minister also attacked the Congress over corruption during its rule, and spoke about clean governance under him in Gujarat and at the Centre.
