Questioning the genuineness of crowds seen during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trips abroad, Congress leader Salman Khurshid has suggested that people are taken from India for “slogan-shouting”, a comment which was slammed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Khurshid, former External Affairs Minister, referred Narendra Modi’s address to the Indian diaspora in Nay Pyi Taw three days back and questioned how a crowd of 20,000 people gathered in the Myanmarese capital where streets are generally empty.
He also made light of Modi’s much-hyped event in Madison Square Garden in New York in September, saying it was a not a big deal to ensure a gathering in the US.
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“Yahan se logon ko le ja kar nare lagwa rahe hain (Modi is taking people from here for slogan-shouting abroad),” Khurshid told reporters in Farukhabad in Uttar Pradesh last night.
“I have been to Nay Pyi Taw twice. No one is found on the streets there. Then how come 20,000 people came to listen to him (Modi)? He must have taken along many with him,” he said.
Modi is on a three-nation tour that started with Myanmar where also he addressed Indians. His expression of doubts over the genuiness of public gatherings for Modi abroad came a day ahead of the Prime Minister’s scheduled address to NRIs in Sydney’s Allphones Arena.
Making light of Modi’s Madison Square Garden event of September, Khurshid said, “In USA, organising 20,000 people and making them shouting slogans is not a big deal.”
He said that, “Taking Indians (abroad) and addressing NRIs, will not help…. India will benefit if he (Modi) influences American leaders and American people… Here (in India) he has already influenced people).”
Slamming Khurshid’s comments, BJP leader and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “It is bankruptcy of Congress.”
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “it is sheer frustration” of the Congress party that it says that the Prime Minister takes his own people to create a crowd abroad.
“Does the Congress not realise that here we have an Indian PM who, because of his sheer hard work, because of his mission of development, who, because of his personality, is drawing the people not only in India but across the world,” Patra asked.
“Ironically today Congress does not have a leader of stature. It does not have a leader to match the charisma of Narendra Modi,” Patra added.
Targeting Modi, Khurshid also said, “India will be strong when people over there (abroad) would be influenced. I think PM should concentrate on people there instead of taking people from here.”
Making fun of Congress, Javadekar said, “No one comes to listen to them in India whereas people come to listen to Modiji there (abroad) also. That is why they are unhappy.”