New Delhi: The political discourse in the country hit another low on Tuesday when Yuva Desh, Indian Youth Congress’s online magazine, took a crass jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s English speaking skills.
The magazine, on its Twitter handle, put out a picture of PM Modi in conversation with US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Theresa May. In the picture, the PM can be seen asking them if they are aware about the various ‘memes’ that have been put out by the opposition against him.
The PM is then corrected and informed about the correct pronunciation of ‘memes’, and also advised that he is better off ‘selling tea’.The tweet has since been deleted.
It was brought to public notice by Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, who also wanted to know if Rahul Gandhi approves of this “classist and anti-poor tweet”.
“This blatantly classist and anti-poor Tweet by the Youth Congress shows their mindset towards India’s poor. Does Crown Prince @OfficeOfRG support this?” tweeted Rupani.
Firefighting the damage caused by the Twitter post, Congress categorically said it “disapproves and rejects such humour”. The party also made it known that “Congress culture imbibes respect for PM and political opponents”.
“INC strongly disapproves & rejects such humour through memes. Differences on policy and opinion aside, Congress culture imbibes respect for PM and all political opponents,” tweeted Randeep Surjewala, in-charge communications, Congress.
Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah took to Twitter and wondered how Congress can commit such a ‘political suicide’. “What is about elements of the Congress party that commit political suicide with such amazing regularity? This tweet is in such poor taste,” tweeted Abdullah.
In January 2014, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar mocked Narendra Modi’s Prime Ministerial ambitions and said a place will be identified for the Gujarat Chief Minister to distribute tea at the party’s convention in Delhi.
“I promise you in 21st Century Narendra Modi will never become the Prime Minister of the country. …But if he wants to distribute tea here, we will find a place for him,” Aiyar said at the venue of the AICC meeting.
Modi, who was then the Gujarat CM, said that he was born in a poor family, and has seen and lived in poverty.
“I have sold tea at the railway station and in running trains …those selling tea in trains know more about railways than the minister,” Modi had said then in response to Aiyar’s remarks.
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It is good to know good English but it is not India `s national language . We all know Modiji`s English is like us average people ,so what is wrong in it. Only people who have slavish mentality will try to raise such issues. Let us judge Modiji for the work he is doing for the country. Raise those issues where he is failing to improve the lives of millions of people of India.That will be more important.