Mani Shankar Aiyar, who has called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "neech aadmi" in a new attack, earned a swift riposte from the Prime Minister, who said at an election rally in Gujarat, "They can call me neech(low), but I will keep doing oonche (high) work." Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi asked Mr Aiyar to apologise to the Prime Minister.
Mr Aiyar was later suspended from the primary membership of the Congress and served show-cause notice for his controversial remarks. "This is the Congress leadership's Gandhian philosophy and a sense of respect towards the opposition," Congress spokesperson Rajdeep Surjewala tweeted, wondering if PM Modi would have "courage to do something similar".
The Prime Minister described Mr Aiyar's comment as an example of the Congress' "Mughal values that teach to demean castes and talk about upper and lower castes."
With voting in Gujarat on Saturday, the Congress has wasted no time in condemning Mr Aiyar's comments. "BJP and PM routinely use filthy language to attack the Congress party. The Congress has a different culture and heritage. I do not appreciate the tone and language used by Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar to address the PM. Both the Congress and I expect him to apologise for what he said," Rahul Gandhi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said parties seeking votes in the name of BR Ambedkar had tried to erase his contribution in nation-building (File)
PM Modi has pitched the Gujarat election as a battle between development and dynasty in his attacks on Rahul Gandhi, who has been elected unopposed to take over as Congress chief from his mother Sonia Gandhi.
Amid widespread condemnation he said, apologising for he called his poor command of Hindi, "I meant low level when I said 'neech', I don't think he is low born...if it has some other meaning then I apologise."
"Mani Shankar Aiyar is mentally not fit," said loyal Congress ally Lalu Prasad Yadav.
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