MUMBAI: A police complaint has been filed against BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao after he allegedly drew comparison between Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and 13th-century plunderer-ruler Alauddin Khilji.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

The complaint was filed by Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam on Friday.


In his complaint, Nirupam alleged that Rao called the Congress President-elect is 'a kin of Khilji' on his verified Twitter account.


"The leader (Rao) has deliberately and maliciously tried to draw a defamatory connect between Delhi ruler Alauddin Khilji's plunder of our ancient sacred Somnath Temple and Rahul (Gandhi)," the complaint read.


He said that such a spiteful comment in the public domain, which does not have an iota of truth "is tantamount to not just being libellous but simply criminal in nature".


In fact, the Congress leader pointed out, the comment is "inflammatory" and apparently made with the intent of "creating hatred and enmity among people".


Terming it as a clear breach of the law, Nirupam urged the police to take stringent action against Rao and the BJP for his tweet, and ensure the offending tweet is deleted immediately by Rao.


Nirupam's demand against the BJP came a day after senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's purported derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi created a furore and he was suspended by the party.


The action against the long-time Gandhi-family loyalist comes as the grand old party heads into an electoral battle in Gujarat.


Aiyar, a former Union Minister, sought to clarify his remarks. Pointing to the fact that Hindi is not his mother tongue, Aiyar said, "I meant 'low level' when I said 'neech'. I think in English when I speak in Hindi, as Hindi is not my mother tongue. So if it has some other meaning, then I apologise."


Aiyar hails from Mayiladuthurai in the Cauvery Delta region of Tamil Nadu.


He had been attempting to make a point against dirty politics when he uttered the remarks that have now got him expelled from the Congress. "Mujhko lagta hai ki ye aadmi bahut neech kisam ka aadmi hai, isme koi sabhyata nahi hai, or aise mauke par is kisam ki gandi rajniti karne ki kya avashyakta hai?" Mani Shankar Aiyar was quoted as saying, by news agency ANI.


The remarks had come in for wide criticism through the day on Thursday. 


Prime Minister Modi himself referred to it at an election rally in poll-bound Gujarat's Surat. 


"Congress leaders are speaking in a language that is not acceptable in a democracy. One Congress leader, who has studied in best institutions, served as a diplomat, was a Minister in Cabinet, he said Modi is 'neech.' This is insulting. This is nothing but a mindset that of the Mughals," PM Modi said.


Rahul Gandhi took the opportunity to take a shot at the BJP even as he snapped down on Aiyar's comment. "BJP and PM routinely use filthy language to attack the Congress party. The Congress has a different culture and heritage. I do not appreciate the tone and language used by Mr Mani Shankar Aiyer to address the PM. Both the Congress and I expect him to apologise for what he said," Rahul had said in a tweet.


RJD chief Lalu Prasad condemned the remarks and called Aiyar mentally 'unfit'.