Manish Tewari hits out at Modi for remarks on Pranab

Hitting out at Narendra Modi for his remarks on Pranab Mukherjee, Manish Tewari on Wednesday said it was unfortunate that the BJP leader had sought to drag the office of President into political discourse.

New Delhi: Hitting out at Narendra Modi for his remarks on Pranab Mukherjee, Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari on Wednesday said it was unfortunate that the BJP leader had sought to drag the office of President into political discourse.

"I think its extremely unfortunate that the Chief Minister of Gujarat has sought to trample constitutional propriety by dragging the august office of the President of India into a political discourse," he told reporters here. He was asked about BJP Prime Ministerial candidate accusing Congress of denying Pranab Mukherjee, now the President, the prime minister`s post in 2004 even though he "deserved" the chair. Tewari said the President is a symbol of Indian state and is supposed to be above partisan politics - a decorum that has been maintained. "But unfortunately in Chief Minister of Gujarat, you see a tendency that to score political brownie points inorder to take a partisan potshot, he does not even spare the office of the President of India." Asked about the episode related to UP minister Azam Khan`s buffaloes being stolen and efforts made by UP police to trace them, Tewari said that it is very important that people in public office should use public facilities for public purposes only. He added that if at all such an incident has taken place or such conduct has been indulged it reflects badly on the political class. On the request for two flats for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, he said that many politicians lived in modest accommodations but did not make a song and dance about it. "When ultimately it turns out that this song and dance was only hype and hoopla, in order to throw dust into the eyes of the people. People are extremely wise and they can see through this charade and they would ultimately judge the Aam Aadmi party by the difference between their words and deeds," Tewari said. In response to a question related to Operation Bluestar, Tewari said that Punjab had witnessed a very painful period and a large number of people had lost lives. "It is with great difficulty that Punjab has attempted to heal its wounds and attempted to move on. While I have deep respect for people who want to go into things with profoundity, I think its also important that the healing process must be allowed to go on," Tewari said.