Ex-PM takes dig at Modi for using chaiwala past

New Delhi: During campaigning in Gujarat, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday steered clear of touching upon the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much-hyped humble background of a tea seller.

When asked at a press conference in Surat as to why he does not talk about his own background like Mr Modi, Dr Singh said, “I don’t want the country to take pity on the basis of my humble background. I do not think I want to enter into any competition with Prime Minister Modiji on this particular matter.”

The issue about the background of Mr Modi has been occupying the political discourse since early 2014 when Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyer had referred to Mr. Modi as a “chaiwala or tea seller”. The matter again came into prominence last month after a Youth Congress meme on Mr Modi’s “chaiwala” past. Though the Congress immediately issued an apology and distanced itself from the Youth Congress meme, the issue became a part of the electoral discourse in poll-bound Gujarat. In one of the recent election rallies, Mr Modi said that he may have sold tea but would not sell the country — a reference to the alleged scams that took place during the Congress-led UPA government. On Saturday, Dr Singh chided Mr Modi for comparing the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru with the first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“ Nothing is gained, as often attempted by Modiji, to pit the two great leaders of power (against each other),” he said.

Dr Singh strongly denied Mr Modi’s allegation that the Congress and Congress-led governments hated Gujaratis.

“Nothing can be farther from the truth. I realise that many things are said in election times. But when they are gross distortions, they need to be rebutted,” he said.

The former Prime Minister accused Mr Modi of “denigrating the country” by claiming that Congress did nothing in 70 years.

“I wish the Prime Minister would find more dignified ways of impressing upon the crowds and seeking their votes without resorting to statements which denigrate our country,” he said.

This was the second visit of Dr. Singh to Gujarat for campaigning in the upcoming Assembly elections. The Congress has sent a battery of its leaders to the state for campaign ahead of the two-phase polling on December 9 and 14. The result of the elections will be out on December 18.