Aiyar’s ‘tea vendor’ remarks slammed

‘Better to be tea vendor than to sell the country,’ says BJP senior leader M. Venkaiah Naidu.

BJP leader M.Venkaiah Naidu serving tea at a road side stall at Gandhinagar, as part of Modi-for-PM campaign in Vijayawada on Wednesday. Photo: V. Raju

Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar ‘tea vendor’ remarks seem to be a storm in a tea cup. Vociferously reacting to it, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asserted that it was better to be tea vendor rather than sell the country.

BJP senior leader M. Venkaiah Naidu was in the city to participate in ‘Modi for PM’ campaign on Wednesday. Earlier, in the day, he inaugurated a tea stall at Gandhi Nagar in the city. On the side lines of it and later at meeting at the PWD grounds here, Mr. Naidu said that the Congress party did not condemn Mr. Aiyar's statement and instead supported it.

It was height of arrogance. The Congress MP’s statement was an insult to thousands of tea vendors who had been surviving on self employment and also providing employment to several other people, he felt.

It was a matter of self respect for those who stand on their feet.

The common man (and those belonging to Backward Classes) sees himself in Narendra Modi, who made a humble beginning as tea vendor and became Chief Minister of Gujarat.