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The Election Commission on Thursday issued a showcause notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for referring Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “panauti” (harbinger of bad luck) while addressing a poll rally in Rajasthan on November 21.
Gandhi has been summoned by the poll body to appear before it by 6pm on Saturday, November 25. The notice brings into question Gandhi’s “panauti” and “jeb katra” remarks against the Prime Minister.
The Congress leader made the panauti jibe at PM Modi while linking his presence to India’s loss against Australia at the World Cup finals in Ahmedabad. “Panauti… panauti… Achha bhalaa hamare ladke wahaan World Cup jeetne waale the, par panauti harwaa diya. TV waale ye nahin kahenge magar janta jaanti hai (Our boys were going to win the World Cup, but panauti got them defeated. TV channels will not say this but the public knows),” Gandhi said at the rally.
The BJP reacted sharply, accusing Gandhi of using abusive language against the Prime Minister because of the frustration of electoral losses.
Demanding an apology from Gandhi for his latest remark, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “What has happened to you, Rahul Gandhi? You are so troubled because of the frustration of losses that you are using abusive language against the Prime Minister of the country. Our Prime Minister loves our players and goes to boost their morale and to help them. The Bharatiya team is doing well in Asiads, Olympics and paralympics. Our players played very well. It’s all right – defeat and victory happen. Rahul Gandhi must apologise.”
KC Venugopal of the Congress, however, defended Gandhi’s jibe. “Rahul ji has said what many have been thinking since 2 days! The World Cup finals was a moment of pride for 140 crore Indians and we were all looking forward to this historic occasion, but they were desperate to hijack it for their political mileage. The BJP should be the last ones to talk about political correctness.”
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