NEW DELHI – Congress Vice-president Rahul Gandhi today censured senior party leader and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid for the latter’s remarks where he had referred to Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as “napunsak” (impotent).
“I don’t appreciate this kind of language,” the Congress scion told the media after a meeting of the Congress’ campaign committee here.
On Tuesday, Khurshid, without directly naming Modi, had reportedly said, “We don’t accuse you (Modi) of killing people…Hamara aarop hai ki tum napunsak ho.” (Our charge is that you are impotent).
Khurshid, who was speaking at a gathering in his constituency Farukkhabad, had lashed out against Modi for what he termed as the latter’s inability to control the post-Godhra communal riots in Gujarat in 2002. Later, Khurshid defended himself by saying that he would have used the word “incompetent”, but the riots of 2002 in Gujarat demanded a stronger word and that he used the term “impotent” in that context only.
On Wednesday, the BJP had demanded an apology from the Congress over Khurshid’s remarks. Party spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said there was no visible impact of Gandhi’s advice to party leaders to be restrained in their use of language while making public statements.
Earlier this month, Gandhi had directed party spokespersons to refrain from launching personal attacks on Opposition leaders while making public speeches.
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