Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said in the Rajya Sabha he does not understand why none of the Gandhi family uses the Nehru surname. The comment triggered a row with Congress strongly condemning the statement. The controversy is far from dying down as debates of Ghandy versus Gandhi continue on Twitter with political leaders commenting on it.
Referring to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's son, BJP's Amit Malviya said he (Rehan) writes his name as Rehan Rajiv Gandhi. "If Priyanka Vadra’s son Rehan can write his name as Rehan Rajiv Gandhi (in an attempt to usurp the legacy of his maternal grandfather) then why does no one in the family use Nehru surname? Ashamed?" Malviya tweeted.
Andhra Pradesh BJP leader Vishnu Vardhan Reddy tweeted: "Since yesterday Congressis are shouting that Gadhi family is using their father's surname but if we check the history then its Ghandy & not Gandhi. Also then why son of @priyankagandhi is using his maternal grandfather's name & became Rehan Rajiv Gandhi?"
{{/usCountry}}Andhra Pradesh BJP leader Vishnu Vardhan Reddy tweeted: "Since yesterday Congressis are shouting that Gadhi family is using their father's surname but if we check the history then its Ghandy & not Gandhi. Also then why son of @priyankagandhi is using his maternal grandfather's name & became Rehan Rajiv Gandhi?"
{{/usCountry}}Amid the debate, the purported photo of a birth certificate of Feroze Gandhi, sourced from Bertil Falk's 'Feroze the forgotten Gandhi', is also doing the rounds. The spelling there is ‘Gandhy’.
The Congress on Friday hit out at PM Modi and asked who in India uses their maternal grandfather's surname. "Someone who is sitting on such a responsible position does not know or understand the culture of India...will speak like this.... You can ask any person in the country, who uses maternal grandfather's surname?" Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said.