Wrong to think Modi is India and India is Modi: Cong slams BJP’s criticism of Rahul

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday said it is wrong to think that “Narendra Modi is India and India is Narendra Modi”, as it slammed the ruling BJP for its criticism of Rahul Gandhi over his dig at the prime minister and doubled down on the “Narendra-surrender” jibe.

Amid the BJP’s criticism of his remarks, Gandhi reposted a post he had made on X on June 21, 2020, in which he had said, “Narendra Modi is actually Surender Modi.”

Congress’s media and publicity department head Pawan Khera claimed that Gandhi’s “Narender...surrender” remarks encapsulate how the Prime Minister has time and again “surrendered India’s national interests in situations where the requisite deft and the “vishwaguru” status should have been shown.

“The BJP people were making a film for their hero for the last 11 years -- ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’. But when the film was ready, it turned out to be ‘Narender Ka Surrender’. Actually, there is no injection of bravery, but it is in-built in the character of a person. The history of BJP-RSS people has been of cowardice,” Khera told a press conference at the Congress’s Indira Bhawan headquarters here.

When such a person takes over the reins of the country, its future comes in danger, which is being witnessed at present, he claimed.

The Congress leader’s remarks came a day after Gandhi said in Bhopal that “as soon as Trump signalled from there, picked up the phone and said, ‘what are you doing Modiji? Narender, surrender’.... And Modiji obeyed Trump’s orders with ‘Ji Huzoor’”.

Urging people to remember 1971, Gandhi said back then, a phone call had not come but the United States had sent its 7th fleet, weapons and an aircraft carrier, but prime minister Indira Gandhi did not surrender and said she would go by national interest.

Referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Gandhi said they are habituated to writing “surrender letters” since Independence.

The BJP has accused Gandhi of insulting the armed forces with his “surrender” barb at Modi, saying it amounted to undermining the success of Operation Sindoor.

BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Congress leader has surpassed even Pakistan’s army chief, prime minister and the terror masterminds based there in speaking in support of the neighbouring country, and alleged that his jibes reflect a sick and dangerous mindset.

Hitting back at the BJP, Khera said, “When the brave Indian Army had Pakistan on its knees, (US President Donald) Trump called and Narendra Modi surrendered.

Trump said many times that we got the ceasefire done by threatening trade, but Modi has not given a reply to Trump till date.”