Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Raj Babbar kicked up a controversy by comparing the slump in rupee’s value against US Dollar to Prime Minister’s nonagenarian mother’s age.
The BJP has demanded an apology from the Opposition party's president Rahul Gandhi.
Babbar made the controversial remark while addressing a rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh's Indore city on Thursday. Madhya Pradesh goes to polls on November 28 and results will be declared on December 11.
The film actor-turned-politician Babbar also called PM Narendra Modi Manhoos (ill-omened) over steep rise in fuel prices.
He also sought to remind PM his remarks around 2014 elections that I am lucky so petrol-diesel prices would fall once I am in power and those who ruled earlier were badkismat (unlucky) as fuel prices were high in their times.
“Main to kahunga aap mahamanhoos hain jo aapke raaj me petrol-diesel ke daam itne badh gaye,” quipped Babbar.
“He (PM) used to say that the falling rupee against US dollar was nearing the age of the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh). I would say presently the rupee has started to slide towards your respected mother’s age,” said Babbar during election campaigning in Indore on Thursday.
A seething BJP took strong objection to his remarks and accused the Congress of lowering the dignity of political speeches.
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya reacting to Babbar’s remarks said, “Unhone kuchh jyada le li hogi (Perhaps he was too drunk). He is an actor and often slips into acting mode so should not be taken seriously, he added.
The party's national spokesperson Sambit Patra said it was not proper to use unparliamentary words or drag any person's mother into politics. "But the Congress' attitude against the Prime Minister's mother has been improper from the beginning and such language was used even against the Prime Minister," Patra claimed.
He demanded that Rahul Gandhi should apologise and he should clarify whether he endorses such controversial statements.