Divya Spandana takes a dig at PM with 'Is that bird dropping?' tweet, sparks row

New Delhi: Congress leader and the party's social media head Divya Spandana on Thursday sparked a controversy by tweeting a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi standing next to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's newly-inaugurated 'Statue of Unity'. The actor-turned-politician took a dig at PM Modi and captioned her tweet saying, "Is that bird dropping?"

Is that bird dropping? pic.twitter.com/63xPuvfvW3 — Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) November 1, 2018

Hitting back on the grand old party, BJP said that it is the values of the Congress that are dropping. "Ummm no, it is the values of the Congress that are dropping. Historical disdain for Sardar Patel + Pathological dislike for @narendramodi = Such language. Clearly, @RahulGandhi’s politics of 'love'!" the saffron party said in a tweet.

Ummm no, it is the values of the Congress that are dropping.

Historical disdain for Sardar Patel + Pathological dislike for @narendramodi = Such language.

Clearly, @RahulGandhi’s politics of 'love'! https://t.co/1TPCY7Fs4d — BJP (@BJP4India) November 1, 2018

Asked about the Congress leader's tweet, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra lashed out at the opposition party, alleging that "this is the real culture" of the Congress party. They miss no opportunity to abuse the prime minister of India, he said.

"It is the same party which called the prime minister 'neech'. Shashi Tharoor called him a scorpion and now Divya Spandana says that he is a bird's dropping," Patra said.

"This is nothing but language of arrogance from the Congress party for the normal Indian who with his sheer hardwork become the prime minister of the country," he said.

A normal Indian appears bird's dropping to them, while a dynast is power centre for them, Patra said. "This is arrogance of dynasty which is abusing the democracy of India," he alleged.

Despite criticism from the ruling party and Twitterati, Spandana remained defiant. "When you're done huffing & puffing take a breath & hold a mirror to yourselves. My views are mine. I don't give two hoots about yours. I'm not going to clarify what I meant and what I didn't cos you don't deserve one," she tweeted.

Spandana's comment came a day after the Prime Minister inaugurated an imposing 182-metre (597 feet) statue of Sardar Patel in Gujarat's Kevadiya. Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue, has been unveiled on the occasion of the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.

(With inputs from PTI)