Rahul Gandhi takes a ‘poetic’ dig at PM Modi

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday tweeted a prayer for him, asking for freedom from ignorance, a day after Mr Modi said that the BJP had suffered more adversities in independent India than the Congress did during British rule.

“Modiji a prayer for you: Asatoma Sadgamaya Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya Mrityorma Amritam gamaya Om shanti shanti shanti... Lead me from ignorance to truth — from darkness to light — from death to immortality. Let there be peace for all living creatures,” the Congress vice-president said in two tweets.

Mr Gandhi was commenting on Mr Modi’s remarks made while laying the foundation stone of a new party office here on Thursday.

Asserting that the BJP has made more sacrifices than any other party, the Prime Minister had lamented that every effort of his party was seen in “bad light”.

“Even during the British times, the Congress party would not have faced so much adversity that we, our dedicated workers have gone through in 50-60 years,” he said at the event attended by top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including party chief Amit Shah, L.K. Advani, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley.

Meanwhile, the Congress said it was for the government to take a call on raising the issue of human rights violation in Balochistan in the United Nations even as Prime Minister Modi had mentioned it in his Independence Day address to target Pakistan.

At the same time, it reminded Mr Modi that diplomacy is “no photo opportunity” and needed depth and seriousness.

“It is for the government of the day to take a call. First the Prime Minister should explain whether he has a vision and a roadmap,” the party’s senior spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters when asked whether India should take the cause of Balochistan to the United Nations.