Adhir triggers a row with ‘naali’ remark, apologises

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 24

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary today did a Mani Shankar Aiyar on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by making disparaging references to him in the House and blaming the trespass on his poor Hindi.

Chowdhary was the lead Opposition speaker on the debate on President’s address to the joint session of Parliament. The former Bengal Congress chief, however, landed into a controversy with his very first debate as he used derogatory remarks for the PM, while retorting to BJP lead speaker Pratap Sarangi’s act of bracketing the former with Swami Vivekananda. One of the comments Chowdhary made was: “Don’t compare a monk with a monster.”

Another, more caustic remark by the Congress man, was, however, expunged by the Chair. “There has been a misunderstanding. I never said ‘gandi naali’. If the PM is upset, I am sorry. I had no intention of hurting him. If he is hurt, I will personally apologise to him. By ‘naali’, I meant channel. My Hindi is not good,” Chowdhary rushed to clarify outside the House after the BJP later lashed out at him. As the political war raged, Chowdhary said he was only responding to Sarangi’s comparison of PM with Swami Vivekananda.

“Sarangi put the two on the same pedestal. This hurt sentiments of Bengal. That’s why I said you’re provoking me, I’ll say you’re comparing Maa Ganga with (gandi) naali’…,” said the Congress leader as the BJP mounted a counter-offensive.

BJP working chief JP Nadda slammed the Congress for its leader’s “utterly condemnable” comments.

“The Congress continues to insult the PM elected by 125 crore Indians. People have been giving befitting replies to the Congress election after election. Congress’ arrogance will be its undoing,” Nadda said as the matter blew over in replay of Aiyar’s “neech aadmi” remarks for Modi. Those remarks were also blamed on his poor Hindi by Aiyar.

That apart, Chowdhary also trended on Twitter all day for seeking national moustache status for the moustache of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who was returned by Pakistan after the IAF strikes on Balakot terror camps there.

Most Twitter buffs asked if a “national beard” was next. NC’s Omar Abdullah jested, “The Congress wants India to have a national moustache. I look forward to seeing all my friends in the Congress sporting Abhinandan moustaches.”