Would have been better if PM Modi shed aversion to Nehru: Cong on Democratic leader's remarks

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday hailed the US House Majority Leader's invoking of Jawaharlal Nehru in his speech at the 'Howdy Modi' event, saying it would have been better if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have shed his aversion to India's first PM and joined in endorsing what the American leader said.

Democrat Steny Hoyer, while welcoming Prime Minister Modi at the event on Sunday, had invoked Mahatma Gandhi and India's first prime minister Nehru in his speech.

Asked about Hoyer's remarks, Congress' senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said it was heartening to see that leaders in America recognise the contribution of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, "like we respect Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela".

"Jawaharlal Nehru (was) the front-ranking leader of the Indian national movement and architect of modern India, we owe a debt of gratitude to him. It would have been better that the Prime Minister would have shed his aversion to Pandit Nehru and joined in endorsing what the US Senators were saying about Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi," he told reporters.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said he is glad that Modi was reminded of the contributions of Nehru by the American Democratic party leader.

"I recall L K Advani praising Nehru in a speech in New York some years ago. Vajpayee's tribute to Nehru is a masterpiece. Jaane Kahan Gaye Woh Din...," Ramesh said in a tweet.

"I'm glad that PM Modi was reminded of the contributions of Nehru by the House Majority Leader in Houston," he said.

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi also took a swipe at Modi over Hoyer's remarks, saying, "It was absolutely unexpected for Modi ji".

"While the achievements of Nehru and Gandhi ji were being mentioned, his (Modi's) expressions were worth seeing," he said.