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Raking up the 2002 post-Godhra riots issue, Congress today appeared to compare Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with 'yamraj', the Lord of Death in Hindu mythology.
The party also said it feared the "consequences" if Modi was to become Prime Minister, a day after the Chief Minister made the strongest-ever indication of his prime ministerial ambitions.
"Had he intended to indicate Narendra Modi he would not have referred to somebody riding a horse but somebody riding a buffalo (yama's vehicle)....Rahulji has talked about somebody coming on a horse, he must be referring to a messiah," AICC spokesman Rashid Alvi told reporters.
He was replying to a question whether Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was referring to Modi when he said in his CII speech yesterday that no one person can come charging on horseback and solve all the country's problems.
The invoking of 'yamraj' barb brings back the memories of "merchant of death" used by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the campaign during Gujarat Assembly elections in 2007, which was believed to have boomeranged on the party. In subsequent elections, the party avoided references to the riots.
