india

Updated: May 07, 2019 00:04 IST

Technocrat-turned-Congress strategist Sam Pitroda on Monday invoked Mahatma Gandhi and the land of Gujarat to launch a counter attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

“I cannot believe that a man from Mahatma Gandhi’s soil Gujarat would go to that level and make a comment on someone who died with great honour,” Pitroda told a news conference at the Congress headquarters in Delhi.

Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi while referring to Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, “Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1 (corrupt number 1).”

Pitroda said: “As opposed to talking about your performance, they go attack people like Rajiv Gandhi. What a shame that you have to get to that level...I am very upset that a Prime Minister from Mahatma Gandhi’s soil would go to this level.” Pitroda, a friend of Rajiv Gandhi, headsthe Indian Overseas Congress, a frontal wing that is an interface between the party and the NRIs.

On Sunday, union minister Prakash Javadekar said: “Is it not true that Rajiv justified the genocide of Sikhs? Wasn’t a government plane sent to bring Warren Andersen (chairman of Union Carbide) and then allowed to flee? Congress played the worst communal politics during the Shah Bano case; they had family ties with Ottavio Quattrocchi (accused in the Bofors kickbacks case).”