Congress’ Raj Babbar compares falling rupee with age of Modi’s mother, BJP demands apology

LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH,16/08/2017:RAJ BABBAR PROTEST GORAKHPUR DEATH: UPCC president, Raj Babbar singing Ramdhun, Raghpati Raghav Raja Ram at Gandhi statue in Lucknow on August 16, 2017 during a dharna protest against the death of children in Gorakhpur hospital. Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

Congress leader Raj Babbar’s remark comparing the rupee’s falling value against the US dollar with the age of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother kicked up a controversy on Friday, with the BJP demanding an apology from the opposition party’s president Rahul Gandhi.

Mr. Babbar made the controversial remark while addressing a rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh’s Indore on Thursday. Madhya Pradesh goes to polls on November 28 and results will be declared on December 11.

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“(Before becoming the prime minister) Modi used to say that compared to the (US) dollar, the value of the rupee has fallen to a level where it is almost the same as the age of the then Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh). Mr Prime Minister, at that time, you had not taken his (Manmohan Singh) name out of respect. Although our tradition does not allow this, we wish to say that now the value of the rupee has fallen to the age of your respected mother,” Mr. Babbar, the Uttar Pradesh Congress chief, had said.

Mr. Modi’s mother, Hiraba, is a nonagenarian.

The rupee has seen a continued fall against the US dollar this year, hovering a little over the 70-mark on Friday.

BJP condemns

The BJP condemned Mr. Babbar’s remark. The party’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra said it was not proper to use unparliamentary words or drag any person’s mother into politics.

“But the Congress’ attitude against the Prime Minister’s mother has been improper from the beginning and such language was used even against the Prime Minister,” Mr. Patra claimed. “Rahul Gandhi should apologise and he should clarify whether he endorses such controversial statements,” he said.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani sought an apology from Mr. Babbar for his comments and termed them “repulsive” and showed “cheap mentality” of the person.

“Congress leaders are stooping very low and making such repulsive comments. In politics, people need to behave responsibly. I condemn Raj Babbar’s remark,” Mr. Rupani said in Ahmedabad on Friday.

Since the Congress is losing people’s support and losing elections, their leaders are making such comments out of frustration, said Mr. Rupani.