Senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda Sunday condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for terming former PM Rajiv Gandhi as corrupt.
Speaking at a poll rally in Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, PM Modi, attacking Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, accused the latter's father, former PM Rajiv Gandhi, of being corrupt.
"Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrastachari number 1' (corrupt number 1)," Modi had said.
Hitting back, Pitroda Sunday said, "The baseless comments that the country's current Prime Minister has made yesterday about former premier Rajiv Gandhi makes me feel ashamed as a Gujarati. I belong to the same Gujarat where Mahatma Gandhi was born."
Speaking to reporters at the Indore Press Club, Pitroda, who is the chief of the Indian Overseas Congress, said, "I am pained to see people hailing from Gujarat (referring to PM Modi) falling to such an extent that they lie in such a way about a dead person."
Pitroda (77) was a close aide of Rajiv Gandhi.
Pitroda also asked the Election Commission to "introspect" on its clean chit to the PM and BJP president Amit Shah on some controversial statements and alleged violation of the model code of conduct.
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"The Election Commissioner should ponder whether he is EC of the country or is he representing a political party," Pitroda remarked, adding that the ruling party had "hijacked" the country's democracy.
"We can see that government bodies are being taken over and their chiefs are afraid," Pitroda alleged.
"In the last five years, the Modi government has not fulfilled its poll promises. This government has only lied and not done any specific work. Despite that when youth get impressed with Modi, I am really surprised," he said.
In a reply to a query on such behaviour by the youth, Pitroda said, "It is definitely true and appropriate to accept that it is our weakness that we are unable to take our stand to the youth. But we can't spend crores of rupees like the BJP
on social media.
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