Shotgun fires fresh salvo at PM Modi

In a fresh dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his advice to students not to get stressed before exams, dissident BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha said on Friday pupils who failed could de-stress by blaming past Governments for their plight like “our chowkidar-e-watan”.

“'Dear sir, in your two-hour address to students getting ready for their board exams, which they were compelled to listen to, you said the same things that I had said earlier at a famous and popular girls college at Patna, Magadh Mahila College, on 9th of this month,'' the Patna Sahib MP tweeted.

Sinha was referring to the Prime Minister's interaction with students from across the country last week during which he offered them tips to remain stress-free during exams.

Modi has also written a book 'Exam Warriors' on the theme which was released earlier this month and has reported brisk sales.

In another tweet, the actor-turned-politician, who has been critical of his party and the NDA Government at the Centre, said the Prime Minister ''almost agreed with me'' by stating that ''the first and foremost quality students must acquire is confidence which would lead to commitment, dedication, devotion and passion''.

''The only thing I did not have the heart to tell them was not to get stressed, heart broken or mentally disturbed if you fail in the exam. Just go into flashback and blame the previous regime and 60 years of past Governments .... As our chowkidar-e-watan  does in Parliament any time and every time", Sinha said in another tweet.

Prime Minister Modi has often said he was the "chowkidar" (watchman) of the country.

Sinha, a BJP national executive member, has been strongly critical of Modi over a variety of issues, including the Punjab National Bank fraud and his criticism of Jawaharlal Nehru.

The BJP MP has also repeatedly expressed concern over his party becoming a "one-man Army and two-man show", an obvious reference to Modi and party president Amit Shah.