Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury Monday used Hindi limericks and phrases to deride Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s 56-hour fast, and said there was a divide in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over projecting Modi as a prime ministerial candidate.

Referring to Modi’s ’sadbhavana’ fast, which he ended in Ahmedabad amid much fanfare, Chowdhury hummed a Bollywood number “Kasme waade pyar wafa, sab batein hain baaton ka kya (promises, love and loyalty all are empty talk, which are insignificant).”

On projection of Modi by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a prime ministerial candidate, she said there were differences in the NDA on the issue.

“There is clean divide on who are pro-Modi and anti-Modi. Let them sort out their own issues,” she said.

She dismissed Modi’s fast was “a new weight loss programme”.

Asked to comment on the comparison being made between Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the issue of prime ministership, Chowdhury said it is “ridiculous”.

Asked if the Congress was also planning a yatra to counter one proposed by BJP leader L.K. Advani, Chowdhury said the party did not feel the need to resort to such things.

“Is it necessary that we also do what they are doing? They are free to see Mungeri Lal ke Haseen Sapne,” she said referring to an old Hindi teleserial depicting a day-dreamer.

Chowdhury took a jibe at Modi for his refusal to put on a skull cap offered by a Muslim cleric during his fast.

“Narendra Modi ‘khud topi nahin pahanta hai, woh doosron ko topi pahnata hai’ (Modi does not put on a cap himself. He puts it on others),” Chowdhury said, alluding to a Hindi phrase meaning befooling others.