The real story behind Indira's 'hanky over nose' at Morbi in 1979

New Delhi: Invoking "Gujarati Pride" and continuing his claim that Congress is anti-Gujarati, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Nehru- Gandhi family and raked up an incident of August 16, 1979.

While addressing the first rally of four in Morbi district of central Saurashtra on Wednesday, PM Modi said, "When Indiraben came to Morbi, I remember there was a photo of her in the Chitralekha magazine with a hanky over her nose due to the foul smells."

Referring to a photo published by Chitralekha, a Gujarati magazine, PM Modi said he remembered how the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi covered her face with her handkerchief when she was in the town. However, the tenure refers to Morbi disaster—occurred on August 11, 1979. Reportedly, it was in the aftermath of this deadly dam burst and Mrs. Gandhi visited the district and other sites—that had distended corpses with dismembered remains of bodies being flung on trucks and that were engulfed by the stench of putrefying flesh.

The four kilometer long Machchhu dam situated on the Machhu River, burst, sending a wall of water through the town of Morbi on 11 August 1979 and around 1800- 25000 people were killed. The incident is also known as 'Morbi disaster'.

Modi's comment came after he remembered a time when tragedy struck and he was in the town to help with relief efforts by his own account. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Janasangh workers battled mud and filth to carry out relief work, PM said.

Meanwhile, Congress also alleged BJP of gaining political millage by "preposterous remark" and PM Modi's "son-of-soil" attitude.

While speaking to Millennium Post former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Manish Tiwari mentioned, "We do not dignify his (Prime Minister Narendra Modi's) preposterous remark, rather BJP is accountable for their foul performance in Gujarat for last 22 years. Why they are running away to counter that..?"