PM Modi's remarks on Rajiv Gandhi shows desperation: Chidambaram

Chennai: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks on Rajiv Gandhi, saying it showed his "desperation" and "fear of defeat".

In a series of tweets, the former union finance minister wondered if any religion sanctioned speaking ill of the dead.

A day after Modi took a jibe at former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at his party rally at Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Chidambaram said, "The PM's remarks on former PM Rajiv Gandhi show the extent of his desperation and fear of defeat."

Quoting a Latin saying 'De mortuis nihil nisi bonum' which meant "Of the dead, speaking nothing but the good," Chidambaram asked: Has the PM heard of this ancient wisdom? "Does any religion allow anyone to speak ill of the dead?" he asked. Also, the former union minister asked if Modi knew that "a BJP government decided not to file an appeal to the SC against the HC judgement?"

"...does Mr Modi read anything at all? Does he know that the charge against Mr Rajiv Gandhi was thrown out by the High Court, Delhi as "completely baseless?.

"...Mr Modi has crossed all limits of propriety and decency by defaming a man (Rajiv Gandhi) who died in 1991."

Accusing the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi of attempting to tarnish his image over the Rafale issue, Modi had said, "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrastachari number 1' (corrupt number 1)."

The prime minister claimed that the Congress chief had admitted in an interview that his only aim is to tarnish the image of Modi. "By hurling abuses, you cannot dissolve the 50-long year of Modi's tapasya (struggle) in dust," Modi had said at a Pratapgarh rally.

"By tarnishing my image and by making me small, these people want to make an unstable and a weak government in the country," he had said.