Cong seeks apology, accuses Modi of stooping to new low; Akhilesh too hits back
Prime Minister Narendra Modi invented a controversial acronym — Sarab — for the Opposition coalition in Uttar Pradesh at his election rally in Meerut to launch a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party, the RLD and the BSP that have come together to take on the BJP.
A furious Congress demanded his apology and accused him of stooping to a new low.
“Sapa (Samajwadi Party) ka ‘sa’, RLD ka ‘Ra’ aur Baspa (BSP) ka ‘ba’, matlab ‘sarab’. (Take the ‘Sa’ of Samajwadi Party, ‘Ra’ or Rashtriya Lok Dal and ‘Ba’ of Bahujan Samaj Party),” PM Modi said to a large public gathering as he launched his campaign in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha election.
“For UP’s good health and for India’s future, should you not stay away from sarab? Sapa, RLD, Baspa, ye ‘sarab’ aapko barbaad kar degi (this sarab will destroy you),” the Prime Minister said.
Barely had he finished speaking, the Congress addressed a Press conference condemning Modi for likening three political parties to “sharab” or liquor. “Does this kind of talk befit a Prime Minister? You are calling three political parties sarab? Is this the way a PM talks? Can the people accept this,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said. “Take back your words and apologise to 130 crore people, or the nation and Uttar Pradesh will never forgive you,” he added.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, however, tweeted that the PM confused “sarab (mirage)” and “sharab (liquor)” because of the teleprompter. “Teleprompters exposed how those who promote hate don’t know difference between ‘sarab’ and ‘sharab’; ‘Sarab’ means mirage which the BJP has been showing for the last five years,” Akhilesh said.
Describing the PM as “drama king” and “flop film actor”, Surjewala said despite his party’s differences with Mayawati, he addressed her as “ji” and this is “Indian culture”.
Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi’s theatre jibe over PM Modi’s address to the nation after India’s successful testing of anti-satellite missile on Wednesday, Modi said , “When I was speaking about A-SAT (anti-satellite missile), some intelligent people got confused. They thought that I was speaking about sets used in theatres.” “They got confused A-SAT with set used in theatres. Whether we should cry or laugh at their intellect for confusing space mission with theatre,” Modi said.
In a veiled attack to the Opposition, Modi said he will give clear “hisaab” of all that his Government did. He said, “Chowkidar hoon bhai, hisaab hoga, sabka hoga, baari baari se hoga.”
Lambasting the Opposition while keeping the focus on a strong Government, Modi said that his Government had shown the courage to conduct a surgical strike in all spheres — land, sky and space. The contest is between a “a decisive Government and an indecisive past,” Modi said a day after announcing that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite.