Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdury triggered furore among the BJP-led NDA members on Lok Sabha on Thursday by drawing comparisons between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and absconding businessman Nirav Modi.
"Nirav Modi fled India after looting and nobody could catch him. Our powerful NDA government could not touch him. ... I thought NIrav Modi left India forever. However, I realised today, Nirav Modi has not gone far. After looking at the Manipur incident, I came to know Nirav Modi is in India. And Narendra Modi has disguised as Nirav Modi and is sitting among us quietly on the Manipur issue," Chowdhury said.
Chowdhury's comments outrage NDA MPs
The treasury bench rose in protest following Chowdhury's comments. BJP MP Jyotiraditya Scindia sought an apology from the opposition INDIA bloc for "attacking" PM Modi.
Following the protests from the NDA MPs, Chowdhury's 'Nirav Modi' comment against PM Modi were expunged.
Chowdhury likens PM Modi to Mahabharata's Dhritrashtra
The Congress leader also compared PM Modi to Dhritarashtra, the Kuru king from the epic Mahabharata.
PM Modi was blind to the plight of the people in Manipur similar to way as “Dhritrashtra during Draupadi’s vastraharan”.
'PM Modi in Parliament because of opposition's pressure'
The Congress leader also stated that PM Modi arrived in the Parliament because of the opposition INDIA bloc's pressure on him to speak on the Manipur issue.
"The power of no-confidence motion has brought the Prime Minister in the Parliament today. None of us were thinking about this no-confidence motion. We were only demanding that PM Modi should come to the Parliament and speak on the Manipur issue. We were not demanding any BJP member to come to the Parliament, we were only demanding our PM to come," said Chowdhury.
