Narendra Modi believes in Pakistan, BJP`s PM candidate `anti-national`: Congress

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Stung by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s PM nominee Narendra Modi’s speech in the capital city on Sunday, the ruling Congress party seems to have completely lost the plot and strategy to win people’s support for the upcoming 2014 General Elections. After the BJP’s Delhi rally was over, reacting to Modi’s speech, Congress today accused Narendra Modi of being "anti-national" by projecting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in "poor light" over the `village woman`(dehati aurat) row and demanded that he apologise to the nation. Strongly condemning Modi for the remarks, Congress said it does not behove of a prime ministerial candidate of an opposition party to use such language against the Prime Minister. "It is anti-national and needs to be strongly condemned. He needs to apologise to the nation for what he said today that puts Prime Minister in poor light," Ajay Maken, head of the Congress media department, told reporters here. Maken said Modi while addressing a rally went by the views of a Pakistani journalist who claimed that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has termed Singh as a "village woman" for complaining against him before US President Barack Obama. He said, "It does not behove of a Prime Ministerial candidate of the opposition party to speak against the Prime Minister" in this manner. "Modi, who claims to be a nationalist, does not believe in the Indian journalists and spreads a false story of a Pakistani journalist before the whole nation," he said, adding "Modi has put forth Pakistan`s views before the nation". Maken said it is "very sad that Modi chose a time to show the Prime Minister in poor light when he is abroad and has insulted him by doing so." The Gujarat Chief Minister was fortunate enough that ahead of addressing a mass rally here, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi gave him the much wanted ammunition against the government. Rahul Gandhi on Friday had said, “I`ll tell you what my opinion on the ordinance (on convicted lawmakers) is. It`s complete nonsense. It should be torn up and thrown away. That is my personal opinion.” The proposed ordinance seeks to negate the July 10 ruling of the Supreme Court that struck down a legal provision that protected lawmakers from disqualification when convicted in a criminal case. In a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, Narendra Modi today accused him of committing the ‘sin’ of insulting the Prime Minister when he was abroad and asked people to decide in the next Lok Sabha polls if the nation will be run based on the Constitution or whims of the ‘prince’. Addressing a huge rally -- his first in the capital as BJP`s Prime Ministerial candidate -- Modi tore into the UPA alliance alleging there were "governments within the government" which was affecting the country`s overall growth and development. After Modi’s speech today, it seems that the political storm over the blunt attack by Rahul Gandhi on the ordinance refused to subside with BJP insisting that the dignity of the Prime Minister`s office has been "destroyed" and Congress maintaining it is "healthy for democracy". "But Narendra Modi is expert in spoiling a situation. I have a humble observation -- so much greed for power and the prime minister`s post is not good," Congress party leader Rashid Alvi said. While commenting on Modi`s political rally in the national capital Alvi said, "People in Gujarat need you, that is what you have been elected for, and you are here in Delhi misleading people." "Rahul Gandhi had not even mentioned the name of the Prime Minister. He had only expressed his views regarding the ordinance. He did not even ask the government to withdraw it," Alvi said, alleging that it was Modi who was "denigrating" the Prime Minister. With PTI inputs