india

Updated: Jan 03, 2019 15:22 IST

A day after Congress President Rahul Gandhi termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interview as “staged” saying it was conducted by a “pliable journalist”, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called Gandhi “the Grandson of the ‘Emergency dictator’.”

“The Grandson of the ‘Emergency dictator’ displays his real DNA - attacks and intimidates an independent Editor,” Jaitley tweet, apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi and his grandmother late Indira Gandhi who imposed Emergency rule in the country.

“Why are the pseudo liberals silent? Waiting for the Editors Guild’s response,” Jaitley said in another tweet.

On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi described Modi’s interview to a news agency as “staged” and said that it was conducted by a pliable journalist.

The Grandson of the ‘Emergency dictator’ displays his real DNA – attacks and intimidates an independent Editor. — Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) January 3, 2019

Smita Prakash, the news editor, who interviewed Modi, described the Congress leader’s remarks as a “cheap shot” saying she was asking questions and not answering.

“Dear Rahul Gandhi, cheap shot at your press conference to attack me. I was asking questions, not answering. You want to attack Modi, go ahead but downright absurd to ridicule me. Not expected of a President of the oldest political party in the country,” she tweeted.