New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday took on Finance Minister P Chidamabaram for saying he was not sure if Priyanka Gandhi would accept Narendra Modi as "father figure", saying he belongs to a party whose DNA does not allow appreciation of a gesture coming out of Indian culture.
"It is part of the Indian culture to speak to somebody who is in daughter`s age to say she is like my daughter. It requires a good grounding and belief in Indian culture to say that and to receive and appreciate it.
"Chidambaram ji belongs to Congress whose DNA probably does not allow to appreciate this gesture of the Indian culture which comes out in our speech. And therefore a scornful comment comes from him," BJP Spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.
She said the mindset with which Modi has said this about Priyanka in a TV interview comes out of a strong belief in Indian culture.
"Thank you Mr Chidambaram," she added.
Earlier in the day, Chidambaram said, "I am happy that Narendra Modi considers Priyanka Gandhi as his daughter but I am not sure if she will be happy to consider Modi as a father figure."
Chidambaram was reacting to questions at a news conference in Delhi over Modi`s purported comments in an interview to Doordarshan that he considers Priyanka like his daughter.
Priyanka Gandhi contemptuously dimissed the reported comments by Modi and said she did not "appreciate" this comparison with her father.
"I am Rajiv Gandhi`s daughter," was Priyanka`s terse reply, as Modi`s comments that he considers her as his daughter dominated her media interaction at several places during her whirlwind poll campaign in Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
