NEW DELHI: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks accusing Sonia Gandhi of insulting President Droupadi Murmu. She criticised the BJP’s attempt to turn the issue into an election agenda, calling it an insult to people struggling with inflation and unemployment.
Addressing a rally in Delhi’s Seemapuri, Priyanka Gandhi launched a sharp attack on both Modi and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, saying she had never seen leaders who were such “crybabies” or “bigger cowards” than them. She also accused both of being controlled by big industrialists.
She took on Modi for his comments regarding Sonia Gandhi’s purported remark about President Murmu following her address to Parliament. “Modi ji said my mother insulted the President. What kind of issue is this? One elderly woman expressed sympathy for another, saying ‘bechari Rashtrapati ji thak gayi hongi ek ghante ka bhashan unko padhna pada.’ And they tried to turn this into an election controversy? You are insulting the people of the country who are suffering due to unemployment and inflation, pensioners who are struggling, and sanitation workers who are facing hardships. Instead of addressing their concerns, you are talking about these trivial matters,” she said.
Priyanka urged voters to hold leaders accountable and make them talk about real issues. A video of Sonia Gandhi’s conversation with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Parliament complex, where she was heard commenting on President Murmu’s apparent exhaustion, had gone viral on social media. Modi had accused the Congress’ “shahi parivar” of disrespecting the country’s first tribal President and demanded an apology.
At a rally in support of Congress candidate Rajesh Lilothia, Priyanka Gandhi questioned whether people could criticise Modi like they did her father, former PM Rajiv Gandhi. “My father used to go among the people and get scolded for incomplete work. Can you do that with the current PM? Try and scold him, and you’ll be put in jail,” she said.
Taking a veiled dig at a political leader, she said, “Someone is writing letters from jail, begging to be freed, saying, ‘Bring us out, we will do as you say, we are your slaves.’ These are the people who helped the British. They didn’t fight for the country’s Independence, so they don’t understand its true nature.”
She emphasised the importance of protecting the Constitution, saying it ensures equality, voting rights, and reservations. “This Constitution is your shield. If you protect it, it will protect you,” she told the crowd.
At another rally in Babarpur for Congress candidate Haji Mohammad Ishraq, Priyanka Gandhi mocked Modi and Kejriwal, saying both constantly blamed others. “Modi ji says Nehru ji is responsible for things that weren’t done. Whatever he fails to accomplish, he blames Nehru ji. Kejriwal says Modi ji is stopping him from working. I have never seen such crybaby leaders or bigger cowards than them,” she said.
She contrasted them with her grandmother, former PM Indira Gandhi. “I am Indira Gandhi’s granddaughter. I saw her break Pakistan into two. And here they are, unable to take even the small responsibility of building roads and hospitals. Nehru ji built AIIMS, IITs. What have they built?” she asked.
Criticising Modi’s style of governance, she said, “A real leader doesn’t keep praising himself. Yesterday, during the Budget speech, I saw Modi ji frantically beating the desk because they changed a tax slab. I thought, ‘You did the work, why are you clapping for yourself? Let others do that.’”
She attacked the BJP for ignoring inflation, claiming the government was out of touch with people’s struggles. “Did Modi come out during Covid and check on people when they were dying on the roads? He only shows up during elections. Otherwise, he’s busy in the US, China, Japan, and Europe, shaking hands with world leaders,” she said.
Slamming Kejriwal, Priyanka Gandhi accused him of misleading voters with his claims of honesty. “Beware of those who say ‘I am honest, and everyone else is a thief.’ Kejriwal came into politics claiming honesty, but what happened? The liquor scam took place,” she alleged.
She also targeted Modi over corporate favoritism. “Modi ji called us thieves and said he is honest. But in the last 10 years, what honesty has he shown? He has handed over the country’s resources to Adani and Ambani,” she claimed.
Priyanka Gandhi accused both Modi and Kejriwal of being controlled by industrialists. She mocked their rivalry, saying, “Modi ji talks about Kejriwal’s ‘sheesh mahal’ (glass palace), while AAP leaders criticize Modi for his ‘raj mahal’ (royal palace). The reality is, both serve the interests of the wealthy.”
(With inputs from agencies)
