Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has gone and made a personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi yet again. Before a crucial election (in Gujarat), yet again.

Aiyar, who famously dismissed Modi in 2014 as a 'chaiwallah', has now called PM Modi a "low-life" who is practising "dirty politics".

Speaking to news agency ANI, Aiyar said, "Ye aadmi bahut neech kisam ka aadmi hai, is mein koi sabhyata nahi hai, aur aise mauke par is kisam ki gandi rajneeti karne ki kya avashyakta hai?" (This man is a low-life person, he isn't cultured... at this moment, why does he need to practise such dirty politics?).

Aiyar's comments came in response to PM Narenda Modi launching a subtle attack on Jawaharlal Nehru at a rally in Gujarat today. Without naming the first Prime Minister, PM Modi said, "Baba Saheb Ambedkar's contribution to nation building is very important, there had been attempts to undermine his role, but such attempts were unsuccessful."

In response, Aiyar told ANI that Jawaharlal Nehru played the biggest role in furthering BR Ambedkar's wishes, before going on to make his "low-life person" comment.

PM MODI RESPONDS

Around an hour after Aiyar made his comments, PM Modi tore into the Congress, saying its leaders are "speaking in a language that is not acceptable in a democracy."

Without naming Mani Shankar Aiyar, PM Modi hit out at him: "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 Mughliya mindset."

Aiyar's comment will cost the Congress in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly election, the Prime Minister went on to say.

I have nothing to say on a wise Congress leader calling me Neech'. This is the Congress mindset. They have their language and we have our work. People will answer them through the ballot box. https://t.co/2McoZnaoar pic.twitter.com/icGqAphUzy - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 7, 2017

For the Bharatiya Janata Party, Aiyar's comments today could turn out to be a blessing, just like his 'chaiwallah' statement did in 2014. Then PM candidate Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders went to town using Aiyar's comments to portray Congress as an elitist party that does not care about the poor.

This is the second time the Congress has slipped up in the days leading to the Gujarat assembly election. Just a fortnight ago, the Youth Congress's online magazine - Yuva Desh - sparked a huge furore after posting a meme mocking PM Modi and his past as a tea seller.

The meme was tweeted out by the Yuva Desh and had PM Modi conversing with US President Donald Trump and British PM Theresa May.

In the meme, Modi asks, "Have you guys seen how the Opposition gets 'maymays' created about me?" Trump responds, "It's called 'memes' not 'maymays'."

May, on the other hand, is seen making the disparaging comment that has raised the hackles of many in the Bharatiya Janata Party: "You sell tea."

The controversial Yuva Desh tweet on PM Modi that was later deleted The controversial Yuva Desh tweet on PM Modi that was later deleted

The meme, which was taken down within two hours, was quickly panned by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, who called it elitist, and was disowned by the Congress.

The Youth Congress chief later apologised for the tweet while suggesting it was the work of a "volunteer".

2014

On a winter day in 2014, during the run-up to the general election, Mani Shankar Aiyar dismissed PM Modi as a 'chaiwallah'. The Congress leader also went on to express his confidence that Modi would never become PM.

Speaking at an All India Congress Committee convention in New Delhi, Aiyar said, "I promise you, in 21st Century, Narendra Modi will never become the Prime Minister of the country. But if he wants to distribute tea here, we will find a place for him," he said, and this changed the course and narrative of the general election.

WATCH | Modi is a low-life with no values: Mani Shankar Aiyar