The ongoing Rajasthan Assembly elections have witnessed a surge in bitter exchanges as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday, referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “panauti”.
Gandhi linked the Prime Minister’s presence to India’s recent loss against Australia in the World Cup finals held in Ahmedabad two days ago.
Addressing a public rally in Balotra, Rajasthan, Gandhi remarked, “Panauti… panauti…Our boys were going to win the World Cup, but panauti got them defeated. TV channels will not say this, but the public knows.”
The BJP swiftly responded, accusing Gandhi of resorting to abusive language due to electoral frustrations. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad demanded an apology, stating, “What has happened to you, Rahul Gandhi? You are so troubled because of the frustration of losses that you are using abusive language against the Prime Minister of the country.”
The demand for an apology was met with a strong counterargument from Venugopal. “The BJP should be the last ones to talk about political correctness. These Godse bhakts, including PM Modi, who have regularly insulted Pandit Nehru, Indira Gandhi ji, Sonia ji, and Rahul ji with the most vile abuses are finding it difficult to digest the hard truth,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
“Rahul ji has said what many have been thinking since 2 days! The World Cup finals were a moment of pride for 140 crore Indians, and we were all looking forward to this historic occasion,” KC Venugopal added.
It is pertinent to note that this isn’t the first time such rhetoric has surfaced during elections. Earlier this year, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge triggered controversy in the Karnataka Assembly elections with his “venomous snake” jibe at the Prime Minister. Kharge had similarly found himself at the center of controversy last year during the Gujarat Assembly elections for his remarks likening the PM to Ravan.
