Rahul Gandhi aka 'Pappu' takes a dig PM Modi says, 'he insults guru LK Advani'; BJP hits back

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is on a Two-day visit in Mumbai where he mocks down at Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not respecting senior leader and 'mentor' L K Advani and of insulting him after which a huge political controversy. Rahul Gandhi landed Mumbai on Tuesday to appear on Bhiwandi court, adjacent to Thane district over a defamation case filed by RSS worker on him.

While addressing a rally of party workers in Mumbai, Gandhi said Modi did not treat his guru (Advani) with respect even at official functions despite Hinduism teaching how a “guru” was the most important person in an individual’s life.

“Everybody knows who is the guru and mentor of Modi -- LK Advani. But the Prime Minister doesn’t accord respect to him even at official functions. It is me who follows protocol and I am always with him (Advani) during (such) events,” he said.

“Today I feel very sad for Advani ji. The Congress party has given him more respect than Modi ji has,” he said.

The Congress president said his party fought and defeated Advani in 2004 and 2009 parliamentary elections. “Now it is the Congress and our party’s ideology which give respect to Advani,” Gandhi said.

Speaking of Mr Vajpayee, he said, "Who fought against Vajpayeeji? We did. But when he is ill I was the first one to go and meet him. Vajpayeeji may have fought against us but he worked for the nation and he was the Prime Minister of the country and we respect him. And if he is unwell we will go and visit him. This is our religion. Maybe I have said too much".

Later in the evening, Gandhi underscored the issue with a tweet and an allusion to Ekalavya, a heroic character from Mahabharata:

Responding to Gandhi's jab BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni lashed out at him stating he was practising "the lowest form of politics". "He is violating our social and political norms. He does not even seem to know the kind of politics he is doing. The country is watching how the president of the oldest political party is behaving," Mr Baluni was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.

Also read: Congress chief Raul Gandhi to appear before Mumbai's Bhiwandi court in Defamation suit filed by RSS