People on social media have united to condemn the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks on Rajiv Gandhi. At a rally, Modi, attacking Rahul Gandhi’s father, who was assassinated in 1991, said, “Your father was termed ‘Mr Clean’ by his courtiers, but his life ended as ‘Bhrastachari number 1′ (corrupt number 1)”.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel called out Modi’s “pseudo-nationalism”, which, according to him, was aimed at dividing people. He also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would never be able to understand Rajiv Gandhi’s sacrifice for the nation.
Those whose nationalism is pseudo and whose politics is based on dividing people will never understand Rajiv Gandhi and his sacrifice for the nation
— Ahmed Patel Memorial (@ahmedpatel) May 5, 2019
Other Congress leaders and supporters came out in support of the former Prime Minister who was martyred for the cause of peace and condemned Modi’s insensitive remarks on the dead.
Mr Modi has crossed all limits of propriety and decency by defaming a man (Rajiv Gandhi) who died in 1991.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 5, 2019
Modi to Rahul :
Your dad Mr Clean but ended life as “ bhrashtachari No.1 “
Yet Modi says Sadhvi Pragya ( charged and being tried ) innocent
Nothing ever proved against the departed soul ( Rajiv Gandhi )
You lack basic values of civility
You desperation knows no bounds !
— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) May 5, 2019
I strongly condemn Mr Modi's derogatory & shameful statement on India's Martyred PM Rajiv Gandhi Ji. Rajiv Ji was a clean, hard-working & dedicated mass leader, sacrificed his life for India's integrity. It shows Modi's desperation as he's losing the Election.#ShameOnPMModi
— Ashok Chavan (@AshokChavan1958) May 5, 2019
Shocked to hear PM @narendramodi's comments on Former PM Rajiv Gandhi, who sacrificed his life to preserve the integrity of India.
Civility in politics is a big strength of our democracy
PM must read what Shri. Vajpayee had to say before making comments
https://t.co/7rRenhNhHA— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) May 5, 2019
When Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by terrorists, entire India cried. He was killed by the terrorists because they opposed the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka. Something that the BJP too opposed. No wonder PM Modi today expressed happiness over his assassination!
— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) May 4, 2019
https://twitter.com/Radhika_Khera/status/1124970614446379008
Others, too, recounted the exact circumstances of Rajiv Gandhi’s death and remarked on the highly toxic atmosphere inculcated by the saffron party.
On May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber. He died because he did not support separatism and had crossed swords with the LTTE. He was martyred in the cause of a united Sri Lanka. End of story.
— Nirupama Menon Rao 🇮🇳 (@NMenonRao) May 5, 2019
PM #Modi will forever be remembered as the man who gave a terrorist a ticket to fight #LokSabhaElections2019 while insulting the memory of a decorated former PM assasinated by terrorists!#ShameOnPMModi #RajivGandhi
— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) May 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/neo_pac/status/1124956231620354049
Pretty sure even Modi supporters cannot approve of this coarse personal attack on Rajiv Gandhi by PM Modi. Dignified response by @RahulGandhi https://t.co/YRuzmoJhL0
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) May 5, 2019
Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was brutally killed by the enemies of India. Will abusing the assassinated former PM in public actually bring in votes? If so, India is wallowing in a pit of moral degradation https://t.co/iyy81Dnc1C
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 5, 2019