Amritsar (rural) district congress committee (DCC) chief Gurjeet Singh Aujla questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comparison of Punjab Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal with Nelson Mandela, saying that it was like comparing “Satan with God”.
“Is the PM joking or is he serious?” the Congress leader asked in a statement issued here on Sunday.
Aujla was commenting on Modi’s remarks made during a function at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan where BJP veteran LK Advani along with Badal and Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh were present. The PM had described Badal as the Nelson Mandela of India and said, “Badal Sahab is sitting here. He is the Nelson Mandela of India. He was kept in prison for a long time because his political views were different from those in power.”
Aujla felt that the comparison by the PM could not have been made without a purpose. “Either the PM wants to enjoy the reactions of critics, thereby, insulting Badal indirectly or he has decided to recommend Badal for a Nobel Prize,” he said.
“I am not sure whether the committee that picks Nobel Prize winners, also takes into consideration those who are corrupt and those who promote drug addiction and support the land and sand mafia and are against the interests of the farmers,” the Congress leader stated while wondering into which category the Punjab CM would fit in.
{{/usCountry}}“I am not sure whether the committee that picks Nobel Prize winners, also takes into consideration those who are corrupt and those who promote drug addiction and support the land and sand mafia and are against the interests of the farmers,” the Congress leader stated while wondering into which category the Punjab CM would fit in.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress leader sought to remind the PM about a 2003 case in which Badal, his wife, son and seven others were booked under the Provision of Corruption Act, but later on were acquitted by a court due to lack of incriminating evidence. He also reminded Modi about the recent Moga bus incident in which Badal’s transport company was in the spotlight after a teenage girl died after jumping off the bus near Moga to save herself from some persons who tried to molest her.
“I wonder why Modiji is still applauding Badal for his years spent in Indian prisons for political reasons and describing him as a great leader,” he asked while advising the PM not to make such comparisons.