In a frontal attack on Congress, Prime Minister Modi has challenged the party to fight elections in the name of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
My open challenge to Congress.
Fight elections in the name of the former PM associated with Bofors in:
Delhi and Punjab, where innocent Sikhs were butchered in his reign.
Bhopal, where he helped Warren Anderson flee after the infamous Gas Tragedy.
Challenge accepted? pic.twitter.com/CstT0VyITd
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 6, 2019
Addressing a rally in Jharkhand, Prime Minister Modi said the country does not want instability but wants a stable and strong government. “The country does not want a helpless prime minister who is remote-controlled. The country wants a strong and courageous prime minister,” the PM said.
Taking on the Congress, he challenged the grand old party to fight the ongoing elections in the name of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. “A few days back I reminded everyone about the past deeds of one of the family members’ of the dynasty. These people, since last one year, have been using choicest of the abuses towards the prime minister. Their party even abused the prime minister’s family. I only reminded everyone about the old Bofors scam in one rally. That hit them so hard that they are just short of wailing out of pain,” Modi said.
He added that they didn’t care for the respect the chair of the prime minister, but he just said one thing and they’re hurt as if a scorpion bit them. “The more they cry, the more the newer generation will know about their truth. The youth of 21st century should know how one family looted the country in the 20th century, ruined it.
“I challenge the family, the naamdaars, the raj darbaris if they have the courage, they should fight the remaining two phases of elections in the name of Rajiv Gandhi, who is accused of being involved in Bofors scam. Let us see how the game is played. If you have the courage, Delhi is yet to vote. Come, fight in Rajiv Gandhi’s name. If you have the courage, come to Punjab. Let us fight elections in Rajiv Gandhi’s name. We will see how much strength you have. Come to Bhopal to fight elections in his name and it will be out what the then Prime Minister did after the Bhopal gas tragedy. Thousands of families were destroyed. Come, if you have the courage, come to Bhopal, Delhi, Punjab. Let us fight in the name of Rajiv Gandhi,” PM Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stirred a hornet’s nest with his “Rajiv died as Bhrashtari No 1” remark at the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi which ruffled many feathers. Modi’s comment has opened a Pandora’s box for Rajiv, who was the 6th Prime Minister of India between 1984-1989. During his tenure, Rajiv is accused of receiving kickbacks in the infamous Bofors scam and orchestrating the deadly Sikh massacre that transpired soon after the assassination of his mother Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguard.
He is also accused of helping Warren Anderson, Chairman, and CEO of the Union Carbide Corporation escape from India. Anderson was the main accused in the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 but managed to escape India without any trial and punishment.
Modi’s remark has obviously irked the entire opposition including the Nehru-Gandhi clan. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra, children of Rajiv, have both come out aggressively in defense of their late father.
Modi Ji,
The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won’t protect you.
All my love and a huge hug.
Rahul
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2019
His sister, Priyanka Vadra who has jumped the political fray recently, and seems to be oblivious to the development of done by Modi in his constituency Varanasi, was also critical of the PM’s remark.
शहीदों के नाम पर वोट माँगकर उनकी शहादत को अपमानित करने वाले प्रधानमंत्री ने कल अपनी बेलगाम सनक में एक नेक और पाक इंसान की शहादत का निरादर किया। जवाब अमेठी की जनता देगी जिनके लिए राजीव गांधी ने अपनी जान दी। हाँ मोदीजी ‘यह देश धोकेबाज़ी को कभी माफ नहीं करता’।
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 5, 2019
Rajiv was killed in a suicide attack by LTTE, the militant organization from Sri Lanka on 21 May 1991 in Chennai.
While the opposition and the Congress stand united against the PM for his remark, many have come forward in his support.
Rajiv Gandhi was “Corrupt No 1” and also India’s biggest Mob-lyncher ever@ANI @thetribunechd @abpnewstv @News18India @TimesNow @htTweets pic.twitter.com/qHXen0kG3N
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) May 5, 2019
When #Gandhi family is nostalgic about Sh #RajivGandhi today, do they also think about the thousands of #Sikhs slaughtered under his watch? What do you call a man who gets the Sikhs murdered and justifies it to win the elections?
Hold on @RahulGandhi, your Karma awaits you.— Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) May 5, 2019
Karma awaits! pic.twitter.com/2szUWLRgmL
— Kunal Chawda (@Kunal6842) May 6, 2019
The fight in the final rounds of this general election is getting tougher with the passage of each phase. Politicians are trying their best to woo the voters. However, this time around, the bastion of the information revolution is being led by social media. No politician or political party can take the voters for granted anymore. The affordability of smartphones and the internet has made the voters more aware and informed than ever.
In the run-up to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, every political party and politician has been trying hard to score brownie points for political gains. The battle for the biggest festival of democracy has seen its own share of mud-slinging. We are witness to numerable jibes by the opponents at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Lest we forget, Modi was called names, accused of an imaginary Rafale scam, and how his wife and mother were invoked to break his tenacity. And oh! how can we forget the derogatory ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ jibe by Lutyens’ darling INC President Rahul Gandhi that backfired massively!
We’ve seen how media’s favorite (incessantly) ‘coming of age’ politician Gandhi is hailed for every remark he passes at his opponents especially PM Modi. For more than a year, he has been shouting from every stage, accusing the PM of buying the Rafael fighter aircraft from France’s Dassault Aviation at a higher price. He has also been struggling to make us believe his lies about the PM, using his clout to help Anil Ambani win the offset contract.
His non-stop attacks, mocking the PM’s humble background, unfortunately, backfired massively! It prompted not just the PM himself, but his cabinet ministers, MPs and followers across the globe to prefix the word “Chowkidar” to their names, voluntarily. This movement gained momentum with time and slowly, people from all walks of life poured their support to honor the hardworking and dedicated chowkidars (Watchmen) of the society.
Besides, the first time voters are excited to cast their vote and be part of the world’s largest festival of democracy. Over the last few years, we have seen many instances where Rahul Gandhi has challenged the PM for open debate on a variety of issues. As his tenure nears its end, PM has opened a new floodgate by challenging Congress to debate him on Bofors scandal. He has also dared the party to contest the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha elections in Rajiv Gandhi’s name, all the while maintaining his stance on his “bhrashtachari no. 1” remark.
Whether or not Rahul or his party accept the invitation, the voters should come out in large numbers and exercise their right. The good news is that 2019 is poised to become the election with the highest voter turnout ever!
