The war of words between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) is getting personal. After Congress snubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi by claiming that his mother did not work as a domestic help when he was young, BJP has hit back at Sonia Gandhi.
Taking a jibe at the Congress president, BJP leader MJ Akbar called Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi a spoilt child. "There is mother who has ruined her child and she trying now to destroy the country," he said.
Congress had earlier in the day claimed that Modi was lying about his past. "PM is lying about his background that he was a tea seller, and his mother never worked as domestic help," Congress leader Anand Sharma alleged.
Even while praising Modi for his tours abroad and for engagements with political leaders of the world, Akbar did not miss a chance to take potshots at Rahul. "A joint statement is not written by sound-bite writers of Rahul Gandhi. It is a definitive position taken by the governments," he said.
He also questioned Rahul's absence and sought the reason for his US trip to be revealed. "Rahul should explain what he was doing and where he was holidaying," he said.
However, the Congress dismissed any such demand. "Rahul Gandhi does not need permission from Amit Shah or Narendra Modi to make his travel plans. He has a right to privacy," Sharma claimed.
Meanwhile, admiring the PM for his leadership, Akbar said that people flock to attend Modi's events and the BJP does not have to 'rent a crowd'.
He also rubbished the allegations by Congress against Modi. "PM's great objective is the prosperity of the nation, trying to raise the economy of the undernourished parts of India. Statements by Congress show lack of any type of grasp on foreign policy, " he said.
The war of words began after Modi during a Facebook townhall got emotional and recalled the hardships his mother had to undergo, including washing utensils in neighbours' homes, to bring up her children.
"I sold tea in railway stations. It is hard to imagine that a tea seller has become the leader of the world's largest democracy. I salute the people of India who have made a commoner like me to this top position. When we were young, in order to make ends meet, my mother would wash utensils in neighbours homes. She used to clean the dishes, fill water, work as a labourer; you can imagine what a mother had to do to raise her children, the difficulties she went through. "
He said his father has died and his mother, who is now 90, is fit and does all her work by herself. Modi's mother's name is Hiraben, and she lives in Gujarat.
Later, while addressing the Indian diaspora, Modi took a jibe at Sonia Gandhi's son in law by attacking him on alleged corruption charges. In a veiled attack on corruption during UPA regime and taking a barb at Vadra, Modi deprecated the culture of graft in the country and said he has provided graft-free governance.
He said corruption during the previous government's time had triggered anger among people. "In our country it doesn't take much for allegations to come up against politicians. Someone made Rs 50 crore, someone's son made Rs 250 crore, (someone's) daughter made Rs 500 crore, (someone's) damaad (son-in-law) made Rs 1000 crore..." he said addressing the Indian community at the packed SAP Centre in San Jose, California.
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