‘Is This the Way a PM Talks?’ Congress Seeks Apology From Modi Over ‘Sarab’ Jibe

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for comparing three opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh to liquor, saying that by doing so he has made fun of the entire democratic system and should apologise to the people for it.

Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Prime Minister, like a “flop film actor”, was making acronyms from the names of opposition political parties to compare them to liquor.

He said that such statements did not behove the office of the Prime Minister. “By comparing three political parties with liquor, Modi ji has made fun of the entire democratic system. You should apologise to the 130 crore people who believe in the democratic system, otherwise the country and Uttar Pradesh, will never forgive you,” Surjewala said.

Addressing a rally in Meerut, Modi hit out at the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, calling it ‘mahamilawat’ (adulterated). The first letters of the three parties stand for ‘sarab’ (the Hindi word for liquor is ‘sharab’), which is bad for health, he said.

Reacting to the remarks, Surjewala asked, “Does this kind of talk befit a Prime Minister? Is this within the boundaries of democracy. You are calling three political parties sharab? Is this the way a PM talks? Can the people accept this.”

Asked about the Prime Minister’s jibe at the Congress over its promise of eliminating poverty, Surjewala said, “Congress says that income to the poor and justice to the poor, and when Prime Minister Modi today first time gave a reaction to the NYAY scheme, he made fun of the poor. Modi ji you have such arrogance, such drama, such pretense, that you are clapping and making fun of the poor.”

He alleged that the Prime Minister had made fun of the people at the time of demonetisation as well and had gone a step ahead now by allegedly “making fun of the NYAY scheme”.

“The country and Uttar Pradesh will not forgive you for this,” Surjewala said. He said the Prime Minister had made a promised in Meerut in 2017 that the dues of the sugarcane farmers would be cleared.

There are Rs 20,000 crore dues of sugarcane farmers still unpaid and out of that Rs 10,074 are due for payment to farmers in six districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Meerut. Modi had promised to pay the dues in 14 days, Surjewala allged.