Slamming Narendra Modi for his shehzada (prince) and namuna (specimen) barbs on her brother, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday advised the BJP prime ministerial candidate to refrain from bachpana (immaturity).
“He (Modi) makes fun of Rahulji. Sometimes he says he’s funnier than a comedian, sometimes calls him a shehzada . You aspire to be the PM, then why are you being childish? At least consider the dignity of the post you are aspiring for,” Ms. Vadra said in Amethi where she is campaigning for her brother.
"Tell people what you are going to do for them,” Ms. Vadra said.
Ms. Vadra, also took potshots at Mr. Gandhi’s opponents in Amethi, Smriti Irani (BJP) and Kumar Vishwas (AAP). She accused the BJP of indulging in “destructive politics” and suggested that Ms. Irani was an arm chair politician. "Some opposition leaders come here and spread misinformation. They are not in touch with the ground reality," Ms. Vadra said in a public meeting.
Ms. Irani took to twitter to immediately hit back. “From Nautanki to Arm Chaired Politician, seems Mrs Vadra has a problem defining me. Whatever I am have never lived off my family name,” she tweeted.
Attacking Ms. Vadra and her family for indulging in “family politics,” she said she had made a place in India’s politics through her own perseverance and menat (effort). Apni mehnat se desh mein, samaaj mein jagah banayi. Pita ka, parivaar ka naam lekar logon KO chala nahi . (Through my hard work, I have made a place for myself in this country and society. I have never used my father’s or family's name to deceive people.") she said.
Condemning Ms. Vadra’s “childish” barb at Mr. Modi, Ms. Irani later told a television channel that Ms. Vadra was not the candidate and it showed the Congress’s "style of functioning to fire off someone else’s shoulders."
Ms. Vadra, who has of late aggressively defended her family and party invoked her father, the late Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister, to praise her brother’s contribution in Amethi. "Rahul ji has the same vision which Rajiv ji had."
