Taking potshots at the Members of Parliament for having written to US President Barack Obama to not to rescind the ban on a visa for Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said the Gujarat Chief Minister's popularity will keep on rising as more such people begin to hate him.
"The more these people will try to hate Narendra Modi, the more his popularity will keep on rising because of his good work, good governance, personal integrity and qualities of leadership," said BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Prasad said it is indeed very distressing and reprehensible that certain MPs based upon forged signatures of senior MPs have sought to complain to the President of USA about a purely internal issue of India.
"Already, the Government of India and even the Prime Minister has repudiated this kind of a stand by the Government of USA against a constitutionally elected thrice popular Chief Minister. Now, if based upon spurious forged signatures it is sought to be done, it is a crime, it is also a matter of privilege of clear attempt to lower the dignity of India's Parliament," said Prasad.
"Certain members of the Congress Party have also put their signatures. If their signature is genuine, what is the stand of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi we would like to know?" he asked, while targetting the ruling Congress Party at the Centre.
The controversy over letters written to US President Barack Obama by 65 Members of Parliament, urging him to maintain the current policy of denying visa to Modi, has intensified with several other lawmakers now claiming that their signatures were forged.
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In a new twist in the controversy over Modi's US visa, several lawmakers, including senior CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, have denied signing any such letter seeking denial of US visa for the Gujarat Chief Minister.
Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) from Uttar Pradesh, Mohammad Adeeb, today expressed surprise on Yechury's retraction, and said that he was ready for any inquiry to take place on the concerned subject.
"Sitaram Yechuryji has signed on the paper where the whole substance is closed and now is name is there. So, I welcome any inquiry. This is the letter addressed to President. The subject is also mentioned on top of it. Can you expect from any Member of Parliament that he will write his name and signature without reading it, without understanding it?" asked Adeeb.
"If a Member of Parliament says that no I don't know the subject then I am ashamed I feel sorry for the Member of Parliament. The fact of the matter is each and everyone has gone through the letter, agreed and then signed it," he added.
Yechury earlier denied having signed any letter seeking denial of US visa for Modi, saying it suggested a 'cut and paste' job.
DMK MP K.P. Ramalingam has also denied signing any letter to the US President against granting a visa to Modi.
The letter is reportedly aimed at stultifying the effort of BJP President Rajnath Singh, who is in the US, to persuade Washington to lift the ban on Modi's travel.
The U.S. administration had imposed the visa ban on Modi, who was recently made the campaign-in-charge for the BJP, after the 2002 post-Godhra riots.