Former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Amritsar, Capt. Amarinder Singh, on Tuesday said the remark made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi about his '56 inch chest' indicated his 'chauvinistic pride and shameless arrogance'.
"This election season has thrown up many a xenophobes, fascists and pseudo-nationalists camouflaging as ultranationalists beating their '56 inch chest' with chauvinistic pride and shameless arrogance" wrote Amarinder on his Facebook wall apparently referring to Modi.
Asserting that it was Congress which had made sacrifices for the country, the former Punjab CM said: "Just want to remind them that this country has been nourished and nurtured with the blood and great sacrifices of our great leaders who incidentally all belonged to the Congress".
Array
"Apparently that happens to be the reason of the '56 inch breast beating' to pre-empt people from questioning their fascist ultra-nationalism. Unlike the Congress, our ultranationalists do not have even a single example of sacrifice for the country", he added.
Not forgetting his rival Arun Jaitley, who is also contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar, Amarinder said, "Not surprisingly our esteemed guest from New Delhi subscribes to no different views."
Also Read
Referring to Jaitley rejecting the suggestion of Modi apologising for 2002 riots, he said, "His outright rejection of Narendra Modi apologizing for what happened in Gujarat in 2002 only betrays an intoxicated arrogance that seems to have taken better of him".
He reminded Jaitley that innocent people were killed in Gujarat in the name of religion.
"Mr Modi was the Chief Minister heading the state administration. He does owe answers and apology", he asserted while adding, rather sarcastically, "rest assured, an apology neither lowers the stature of the man, nor deflates his 56 inch chest into 36 inches.