Narendra Modi used Pranab Mukherjee to target the Gandhis in Kolkata rally
Narendra Modi today courted a massive crowd in Bengal dropping names of their most beloved icons, not stopping at using even Pranab Mukherjee to target the Congress and Sonia Gandhi.
The Congress and the Gandhi family had twice denied Pranab Mukherjee the post of Prime Minister, said Mr Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate. "The people of Bengal should not forget this. I request you," he urged, addressing his first rally in Kolkata ahead of the national election, due by May.
The Congress instantly hit back. "It's unfortunate that the CM of Gujarat is dragging in the august office of the President of India into controversy," said union minister Manish Tewari.
Mr Modi said Mr Mukherjee, who became President nearly two years ago, deserved to be the country's Prime Minister in 1984 or 2004.
"When Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Rajiv Gandhi was in Kolkata and he went back. Under a democracy, that time the senior-most minister in Indira Gandhi's government was Pranab
Mukherjee. It would have been good if he had been sworn in as the country's prime minister," he said.
"They didn't give it. Not only that, the family (Gandhis) felt that something is going on. So when the Rajiv Gandhi government was formed, senior-most minister Pranabda was not even made a minister."
The next slight, he said, came in 2004, when the Congress returned to power.
"Again in 2004, Pranabda was the senior-most politician. It was very natural that if madam Sonia Gandhi did not want to become (the PM), then the opportunity should have been given to Pranabda, but Manmohan Singhji was made (the PM). Pranabda was not given the opportunity."
Mr Modi, who peppered his speech with Bangla quotes, told the crowd that if they elected his party in all 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal, they would enjoy triple benefit. "Mamatadi will bring change here. I will bring you development from Delhi. And then you have Pranabda as President."