Rahul attacks Modi on his marital status
JAMMU: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday targeted Narendra Modi over his personal life, saying it took the BJP’s prime minister nominee — “who talks about honour of women” — many “elections” to admit that he was married.
“Don’t know how many elections he (Modi) has contested till now, but he has revealed for the first time that he is married. In Delhi, he talks about honour of women, but his own wife’s name doesn’t reach the affidavit,” Gandhi said at his first rally in Jammu and Kashmir this year.
Gandhi’s remarks came a day after a controversy erupted over Modi, for the first time, declaring himself as a married man in an affidavit filed before the Election Commission along with his nomination papers for the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat. Earlier, Modi never used his wife Jashodaben’s name in poll affidavits.
The nomination form for a candidate does not say it is mandatory to mention spouse’s name. But, the Supreme Court had recently said every column in asset affidavit had to be filled. Otherwise, the Election Commission could take action against the candidate. The asset affidavit section seeks details of assets of the candidate, his wife and children (if any).
The Congress heaped praise on AB Vajpayee to attack Modi, asking how can a person whom the tallest leader of BJP “wanted removed” as chief minister in the wake of Gujarat riots be the party’s PM candidate.
Accusing the opposition party of distancing itself from the Vajpayee legacy, the Congress on its official website said, “There is nobody to remind BJP of its Rajdharma”.