Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose remarks on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi have triggered a political storm, today said the Congress asks for votes in the name of its forefathers, but has a problem when those people are questioned.
"The Congress party has acquired a reputation as one that splits votes. The only reason for this is its arrogance," PM Modi said at an election rally today. The Congress, he said, thinks "whatever the dynasts say is correct".
"They seek votes in the names of their ancestors, and when questioned about those ancestors, they say 'what happened, happened'," he added, in a reference to the comment by Congress's Sam Pitroda on the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
Over the last two days, Mr Pitroda's comment has drawn multiple attacks on the Congress - not just from the BJP but also the party's Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
Today, as Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said the Mr Pitroda, who was once his mentor, should be "ashamed" and "publicly apologise" for the remark, PM Modi said it is Mr Gandhi who should be ashamed.
"I want to ask naamdar (dynast), you pretended to scold your mentor for what? Because he exposed what was always in the Congress's heart, and in the discussions of the naamdar family? Because he made public a family secret? Arrey naamdar, it is you who should be ashamed," said the Prime Minister.
PM Modi had kept up the attack through the day. At a rally in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, he said, "On Bofors, they have just one reply: "What happened, happened"; on the submarine scam, there is one reply: "What happened, happened"; on chopper scam, it is "What happened, happened".
''Hua toh hua'' are not mere three words, they reflect the ideology and arrogance of the Congress. People are now saying ''enough is enough'' in response to it," the Prime Minister said.
Over the last two weeks, PM Modi had attacked the Congress with a series of remarks on Rajiv Gandhi. To bolster his claims about corruption during Congress rule, he said "Rajiv Gandhi had died as Bhrashtachari number 1". Last week, he said that Rajiv Gandhi had used the warship INS Virat to go on a family holiday, compromising national security.
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