PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Aurangzeb Raj’ Dig As Rahul Gandhi Set To Become Congress Chief
December 04: As Rahul Gandhi filed nomination papers for the post of Congress president in Delhi surrounded by fawning party leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at him in Gujarat’s Valsad, where he addressed an election rally this morning.
“I congratulate the Congress on their ‘Aurangzeb Raj.’ For us, the well-being of the people matters and 125 crore Indians are our high command,” said PM Modi, who will address four rallies today in his home state, which votes for a new government in two phases beginning this Saturday.
“Mani Shankar Aiyar asked ‘did elections happen during Mughal rule? After Jehangir, Shahjahan came, was any election held? After Shahjahan it was understood Aurangzeb will be the leader’. So the Congress accepts it’s a family party? We don’t want this Aurangzeb rule,” said PM Modi, who has pitched the Gujarat elections as a battle between “vikaswaad (development) and vanshwad (dynasty).
Mr Aiyar has sought to clarify that his comment on the Mughals this morning, a retort to the BJP’s allegation of dynastic rule in the Congress, was intended to “contrast the dynastic succession under the Mughals with the democratic process” of electing the Congress chief. “Don’t compare both, during Mughal rule it was understood that after Jehangir, Aurangzeb will be the leader but here anyone is free to contest against Rahul Gandhi, it is a totally democratic process,” shot back Mr Aiyar, who had recently said, “Only two people can be Congress president, mother or son.” He said he was miquoted by the Prime Minister at the Gujarat rally.(Agencies)
