Modi also claimed that Nizami supports the idea of Azad Kashmir and that he referred to the Indian Army as rapists.
New Delhi: As the first phase of polling took place across Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the Congress for questioning his lineage and loyalties, while Rahul Gandhi, also campaigning in Gujarat, kept his promise of asking one question a day and sought to know why the issue of development has been missing from Mr Modi’s speeches.
Addressing a rally in Lunawada on Saturday, Mr Modi was quoted by agencies as saying, “There is a youth Congress leader Salman Nizami who is even campaigning for Congress in Gujarat. He wrote on Twitter about Rahulji’s father and grandmother. That is alright but he also asks, ‘Modi, tell me who is your mother, who is your father?’ Such language can’t even be used for enemies.”
Accused the Congress of abusing and mocking him, Mr Modi said, “I want to tell all Congress leaders who are abusing me, mocking my poor family, asking who my parents are: This nation is my everything. Every moment of my time is devoted to India and 125 crore Indians.”
Mr Modi also claimed that Mr Nizami supports the idea of Azad Kashmir and that he referred to the Indian Army as rapists. Mr Modi further said that Mr Nizami had said, “There will (be) an Afzal (Guru) from every home”, reported agencies.
“Do you want Afzal in every home? Can you allow Afzals in Gujarat?” Mr Modi asked the crowd at the rally in Lunawada, Mahisagar district, where the second phase of polling will be held on December 14.
“The person who has spoken such things is campaigning for Rahul Gandhi. Should we forgive such people?... To call our armed forces rapist is not their insult? Should we forgive such people?” Mr Modi asked repeatedly.
Mr Nizami’s tweets cannot be accessed as his account is a protected one. But screenshots of the tweet Mr Modi was referring to are available on the internet. In his Twitter account, Mr Nizami describes himself as a “Congress Politician/Writer”.
According to reports, Mr Nizami has denied these accusations, asserting that he has never put out any anti-India tweets or statements, and that the tweets Mr Modi was referring to were fake.
Responding to Mr Modi’s comments, Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said that he didn’t know any individual in the party by the name of Salman Nizami and that he held no position in the party. “I don’t know who is Salman Nizami. He does not hold any position in the party. Even we can say that there is some random person Ram Lal in BJP who said something,” said Mr Shukla.
According to reports, Mr Nizami maintained that he still occupies the post of the publicity secretary in the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, though the JKPCC has said that he is not part of the party.
Meanwhile, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday stepped up his attack on Mr Modi asking why there is no mention of development in his speeches during the Gujarat election campaign.
Mr Gandhi said he has not got an answer to even one of the 10 questions he has asked Mr Modi on Gujarat’s report card, despite the BJP being in power in the state for 22 years, and wondered if governance meant mere speeches.
“BJP has its government in Gujarat for 22 years. I will only ask, what is the reason development is missing in the Prime Minister’s speeches. I asked 10 questions on Gujarat’s report card but no answers came. No manifesto till the campaign for the first phase of polling ended. So, ‘ab bhashan hi shasan hai’ (does governance mean mere speeches now),” he tweeted.
Taking on Mr Modi, the Congress leader has started “a question a day” series on Twitter with the tagline “22 saal ka hisab, Gujarat maange jawab” (22 years of account, Gujarat demands answers).
