Lok Sabha Elections 2019 | ‘Modi shouldn’t have said that’: BJP leader on PM’s Rajiv Gandhi remark

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and party candidate from Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency, V Srinivasa Prasad, on Wednesday condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks against former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Addressing a rally in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, on May 4, Modi had attacked Rahul Gandhi’s father Rajiv Gandhi, saying, “Your (Rahul’s) father was termed ‘Mr Clean’ by his courtiers, but his life ended as ‘bhrashtachari no. 1’ (corrupt no.1).”

Reacting to the remarks, Prasad said on Wednesday, “While talking about Rahul Gandhi, he [Modi] shouldn’t have spoken about Rajiv Gandhi. He was known as ‘Mr Clean’ and at a very young age he had taken up a very big responsibility. I have seen him from very close quarters as an MP.”

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Addressing the press in Mysuru on Wednesday, the former union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and a five-time MP added that when Rajiv Gandhi’s name came up in the Bofors scam, he had said that he was in politics only to uphold the respect the people had bestowed on his family. “He said he would go into exile if these allegations were proven. Even the Delhi High Court said he was not involved in any corruption. Modi shouldn’t have said that he died under the suspicion of corruption,” Prasad told media persons in Mysuru.

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Responding to the Prasad’s statement, BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar said Prasad was entitled to his opinion. “Even Modi is ‘Mr Clean’, so we too get upset when the Congress makes baseless allegations against him,” he said.

Karnataka Congress chief, Dinesh Gundu Rao, however, welcomed Prasad’s statement.

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