PM Modi compares Badal to Nelson Mandela, Twitter ridicules comparison

Narendra Modi made the remark about Badal during a programme organised in New Delhi on Sunday to commemorate the 113th birth anniversary of Jai Prakash Narayan. He said that Badal had been put in jail for nearly two decades solely for political reasons and just because he had opposed those in power.

Badal Sahab is sitting here…he is the Nelson Mandela of India. He has spent so many years in prison & that too for political reasons: PM

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 11, 2015

While the Punjab CM too has claimed on numerous occasions that he has spent nearly 17-18 years in jail, including the time spent behind bars during the emergency, his contention has often been debated in political circles in the state. But the PM’s remark became a butt of one-liners on Twitter ridiculing the comparison.

Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, tweeted a question soon after PM’s remark, ‘Badal Nelson Mandela of India?”.

Badal is the Nelson Mandela of India?

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 11, 2015

Supreme Court Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde tweeted, “That he spent years in prison for Sikh panth in Bhindrawale and Post Blue Star era”.

#YoBadalSoMandela that he spent years in prison for Sikh Panth in Bhindranwale & post bluestar era. https://t.co/XqpOUv7gmU

— SANJAY HEGDE (@sanjayuvacha) October 11, 2015

Former Chief Minister and Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Capt Amarinder Singh also reacted to the statement and said, “Who says PM has no sense of humour? Either it is a tongue in cheek comment or the PM does not know what he is talking about. It is an insult to Nelson Mandela to compare someone like Badal with him”. Singh later reacted on Twitter too and said, “Who says our PM has no sense of humour. Let’s hope, like Mandela, Bharat Ratna/ Nobel Prize next for Badal.

#YoBadalSoMandela “Who says our PM has no sense of humour. Let’s hope, like Mandela, Bharat Ratna/Nobel Prize next for Badal”

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) October 11, 2015

Tweets referring to Punjab’s drugs problem and the business empire of the Badal family were also made, apart from the ongoing farmers’ agitation, that has blocked the railway traffic for five consecutive days now.

Not to be left behind, President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Partap Singh Bajwa, tweeted, ” Dear PM please have some pity on the legendary Nelson Mandela. Don’t compare him with Ali Baba of Punjab”. Bajwa tweeted another caustic remark saying, “Under Badal government farmers are dying, 70 per cent youth of Punjab is hooked to drugs, and PM Modi calls Mr Badal Nelson Mandela of India”.

Dear PM please have some pity on the legendary Nelson Mandela. Don’t compare him with Alibaba of Punjab. #YoBadalSoMandela

— Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) October 11, 2015

Under Badal Govt farmers are dying,70% youth of Punjab is hooked to drugs & PM Modi calls Mr Badal India’s Nelson Mandela #YoBadalSoMandela

— Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) October 11, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsLater, speaking to The Indian Express, Bajwa said that perhaps Modi meant that Badal would have to spend as many years in jail as Mandela and that he has a few more innings left in prison, for the corruption in his government in Punjab. Another tweet took a jibe at the comparison by asking if Badal was Mandela of India then was Maya Kodnani India’s Anne Frank. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) activists on Twitter were the quickest off the block by making fun of the comparison. Preeti Sharma Menon tweeted “Waiting for @NarendraModi to say @AmitShahOffice reminds him of Martin Luther King”. Journalist Swati Chaturvedi tweeted that “Mandela spent 27 years in prison. 18 in solitary confinement. It’s ludicrous to compare him to Badal”. Congress Spokesperson Sanjay Jha tweeted, “Modi ji just proved why he is our own Donald Trump”.

Modi Ji just proved why he is our own Donald Trump. #YoBadalSoMandela — Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) October 11, 2015

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Meanwhile, the Punjab government’s public relations department went into overdrive to spread the PM’s Mandela remark through its official releases. A state government statement said that “In recognition to the selfless services rendered by the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal towards the state and its people besides in upholding the ethos of democracy, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi today described him as the Nelson Mandela of Swatantra Bharat (Free India)”.