BJP leaders like Shaina NC called Sanjay Nirupam "mentally deranged."
Highlights
- Sanjay Nirupam said his words for PM Modi were not undignified
- He said the BJP was being "oversensitive"
- BJP leader Shaina NC called him "mentally deranged."
Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam has defended his controversial comment calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi "anpadh-gawaar" (uneducated and uncouth), saying the words he used were "not undignified".
Sanjay Nirupam used the words while criticising the Maharashtra government's decision to screen a short film on the prime minister's life at schools.
"The decision to force the film's screening is wrong. Children should be kept away from politics. What will students learn from watching a film on an uneducated and illiterate person like (prime minister) Modi," the Congress leader told a news channel.
"Children and people do not know how many degrees the prime minister holds," he added.
Reacting sharply, BJP leaders like Shaina NC called Mr Nirupam "mentally deranged."
Mr Nirupam, widely criticised for his choice of words, said the BJP was "oversensitive" and need not pick on each and every word. He said, "It's a democracy, the PM is not God. People speak of him while maintaining decorum. The words I used aren't that offensive."
Reacting to Mr Nirupam's remarks, Shaina NC had tweeted, "Yet another obnoxious comment by a mentally deranged @sanjaynirupam . May be he forgets that @narendramodi is elected by 125 cr Indians who aren't "unpad or gavar".@INCIndia is devoid of ideology and relevant questions. Sure citizens will give a befitting reply in 2019 (sic)."
Government-run schools have been asked to screen a short film on PM Modi next week, an order that has been slammed by the Opposition.
A government official said that the 32-minute film "Chalo Jeete Hai", will be screened on Tuesday and that it has a "social message".
The film is based on the early years of PM Modi.