Political discourse touches new low

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 30

Union Minister Smriti Irani today slammed Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for his Kumbh remarks and ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar lashed out at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for his Rafale allegations as in the run up to the General Election the political discourse fell to new levels with a BJP leader even likening Priyanka Gandhi to ‘Surpanakha’, the sister of demon king Ravana.

Lashing out at the Congress chief, Parrikar said: “I feel let down that you have used this visit for your petty political gains”. In a letter to Gandhi, Parrikar asked the Congress chief to put out the truth and not to use his visit to an ailing person to “feed political opportunism”. BJP chief Amit Shah also called Rahul “insensitive”, accusing him of lying in the name of a person fighting disease.

Meanwhile, hitting out at Tharoor, Irani called his remarks an attack on Hindu beliefs. She also lashed out at Gandhi for allowing Tharoor to make such a remark. “Shashi Tharoor’s statement tantamounts to a religious slur, question needs to be asked from Rahul Gandhi, who strategically wears a ‘janeu’ only when there are polls, as to why he has allowed this attack on beliefs of millions of Hindus across the world,” she said.

Taking a swipe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his Cabinet’s holy dip at the Kumbh Mela, Tharoor said, “You want to keep the Ganga clean and also wash your sins here. Everyone’s naked in the Sangam. Jai Ganga Maiya ki.”

In another controversial remark, BJP MLA Surendra Singh compared Rahul Gandhi to Ravana and his sister Priyanka Gandhi to Surpanakha. The Baria MLA called Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ram “My Modi is in the role of Lord Ram and Congress president Rahul Gandhi is Ravana and his sister Priyanka Surpanakha,” he said.

Loose cannons

You want to keep the Ganga clean and also wash sins there. Everyone is naked in this Sangam. Jai Ganga Maiya Ki. —Shashi Tharoor, Cong MP on UP Cabinet at Kumbh

Rahul Gandhi allows his leaders to attack the beliefs of Hindus but strategically wears ‘janeu’ (holy thread) during polls. —Smriti Irani, Union Minister

My Modi is in the role of Lord Ram and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is Ravana and his sister Priyanka Surpanakha. —Surendra Singh, BJP MLA