A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi compared Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as Congress president to “Aurangzeb raaj”, AICC spokesperson Manish Tewari on Tuesday said that Modi must ask BJP veteran L K Advani who is Aurangzeb. “Did Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari contest elections to become BJP’s national president,” he asked. Addressing a rally in Valsad district on Monday, Modi had took off a part of remark by Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar on the party’s presidential election. “Shah Jahan ki jagah jab Aurangzeb aya, tab koi election hua tha? (When Aurangzeb replaced Shah Jahan, was there any election?),” Modi had quoted the former Union minister. Replying to the Prime Minister, Tewari said that political parties elect their leaders with consensus of the members and that the same was being done in case of Rahul. “Hence, there is nothing wrong in it,” said the former information and broadcasting minister. Tewari added that he was not against the PM criticising the functioning of the Congress. “But, what bothers me is his use of language. He represents 125 crore people of India and should observe restraint. It does not suit a PM to say that the Opposition opposed notebandi (demonetisation) because they had lost their money or their shoes had worn out in 70 years,” said the senior Congress leader, adding that Modi’s language indicated his “nervousness”. “Modi has come to know that his party is going to lose power in Gujarat. If Modi was confident of his work, then there was no need for him to go door-to-door begging for votes. We have never seen a PM seeking votes like Modi,” he said.
