NEW DELHI: After Chaiwala dig in 2014 and Aurangzeb barb that backfired on the party, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has triggered another row.
Aiyar, who had tried to humiliate Narendra Modi for selling tea+ ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, has yet again attacked the Prime Minister using derogatory language.
"Mujhko lagta hai ki ye aadmi bahut neech kisam ka aadmi hai, isme koi sabhyata nahi hai, or aise mauke par is kisam ki gandi rajniti karne ki kya avashyakta hai?" Mani Shankar Aiyar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The Congress leader was responding to a question on PM Modi's attack on Rahul Gandhi earlier in the day.
While inaugurating the Ambedkar International Centre in the national capital, PM Modi had taken a jibe at Rahul Gandhi's comment on being a Shiva devotee and had said some parties talked more of Baba Bhole (Lord Shiva) than Babasaheb.
In a broadside against the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, who is poised to become party president, PM Modi had said political parties who seek votes in the name of Ambedkar were perhaps not even aware that the project of Ambedkar International Centre was pending.
Earlier this week, Aiyar had used the analogy of Mughal heirs to justify Rahul Gandhi's elevation as the party president, giving Prime Minister Narendra Modi fresh ammunition to attack the Gandhi scion.
Aiyar was asked by a news channel about a Maharashtra rebel Congressman, Shehzaad Poonwala, protesting against Rahul Gandhi's elevation. "Was there an election when Shah Jahan replaced Jahangir? And when Aurangzeb took over after Shah Jahan?" Aiyar had said. "It has been the convention that the ruler's son automatically assumes the throne."
Later, while addressing a rally in Gujarat, PM Modi latched on to Aiyar's remarks and said: "Aiyar never shies away from showing loyalty to one family. I don't know whether he said this fearlessly or sarcastically. But I wish them good luck for Aurangzeb raj." Modi asked if the Congress accepted that it was a one-family party. "We don't want this Aurangzebi raj," he said. "For us, the country comes first; 125 crore people of this country are our high command."
In January 2014, Aiyar while attending the AICC session, had said that Modi will never become the Prime Minister "but if he wants to distribute tea here (at AICC venue), we will find a place for him."
Modi latched on to the barb and attacked Congress for not being able to "tolerate a person from backward caste who had humble beginnings". The BJP started "chai pe charcha" in distant parts of the country to drive home the message about Modi being a subaltern.