‘NEECH’ JIBE RECOILS ON CONG, MANI SUSPENDED

Getting into a damage control mode over party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s ‘neech adami’ jibe at Prime Minister Modi, the Congress on Thursday evening suspended him from the primary membership and issued him a show-cause for his obnoxious remarks.

But, making a virtue out of its belated action, Congress spokesperson Rajdeep Surjewala tweeted, ‘‘This is the Congress leadership's Gandhian philosophy and a sense of respect towards the opposition." And even as he said so, the party added for effect: ‘‘We are wondering if PM Modi would have courage to do something similar".

Earlier, the party had extracted an apology from Aiyar wherein he blames it all on his poor knowledge of Hindi; he was also rapped by Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi. "Congress and I expect him to apologise for what he said," he tweeted, saying "I do not appreciate the tone and language used by Aiyar while addressing the PM."

"The BJP and the PM routinely use filthy language to

"Yeh aadmi bahut neech kisam ka aadmi hai. Ismein koi sabhyata nahi hai, aur aise mauke par is kisam ki gandi rajniti karne ki kya avashyakta hai?

attack the Congress Party. The Congress has a different culture and heritage," Rahul added. Aiyar, who had famously dismissed Modi in 2014 as a ''chaiwallah,'' called PM Modi a "lowlife" uncultured person dabbling in "dirty politics." He told news agency ANI: "Yeh aadmi bahut neech kisam ka aadmi hai. Ismein koi sabhyata nahi hai, aur aise mauke par is kisam ki gandi rajniti karne ki kya avashyakta hai?

The BJP leaders were not impressed with the apology and party president Amit Shah lashed out at the Congress, saying Aiyar only reflects the Congress culture. He added that he was not surprised that Aiyar had used such filthy language as the Congress party had always nursed an animosity for the Dalits, the downtrodden, the exploited and the poor…

Then, Shah dipped into the Congress lexicon and highlighted the dirty words used for PM Modi over the years – such as Yamraaj, Maut Ka Saudagar, Ravan, Gandi Naali ka Keeda, Monkey, Rabbies Victim, virus, Bhasmasur, Gangu Teli and Gunda. He said the people of Gujarat will punish the Congress in the assembly elections. ‘‘Look at the difference in the work culture of the two parties. While the Congress pursues the work culture of using filthy language and ensuring the poor always remain poor, the BJP has the work culture of good conduct, good thoughts, noble culture and development," Shah added, rubbing it in.

Ahead of his massive victory in the 2014 national election, Modi was derided by Mani Shankar Aiyar as a tea seller who could never be Prime Minister. "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 had infamously said.