New Delhi: Angered by the Congress charge that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is comparable to Goebbels, the BJP on Sunday hit back saying this "malicious and deeply condemnable" statement shows the Emergency mindset of the ruling party and is not acceptable.
"It seems that the Congress party and its spokesperson have crossed all limits of decency in political discourse of the country....Comparing the comments of Narendra Modi, a senior national leader having a very distinguished record of governance as a popular chief minister, with Goebbels is not only malicious but deeply condemnable", BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Modi had hit out at the Congress-led UPA government during the BJP National Executive rally. Responding to this, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari had commented that the soul of Hitler's propaganda chief Goebbels had entered Modi.
Describing Tewari's digs as lacking in grace and democratic temperament, Prasad said, "Calling it factually incorrect and comparing it to Goebbels, who was known for false propaganda, exposes the true colour of the Congress", Prasad said.
The BJP leader said such language was used by the Congress during 1975-76 when India was under Emergency and democratic rights were suspended.
"This is the India of 2012 and such language of Congress will not be acceptable", he said.
The party also alleged that this behaviour of the Congress is an extension of the approach of its president Sonia Gandhi who had called the criticism by the opposition as aggressive and irresponsible.
BJP stood by the allegations made by Modi and insisted that it will continue to articulate concerns of the common man.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, May 27, 2012, 16:02