TN BJP chief demands apology from INDIA bloc over remarks on PM Modi's mother

Chennai, Sep 3 (IANS) Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran on Wednesday strongly condemned derogatory remarks made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother during a meeting of the INDIA bloc in Bihar, demanding an immediate public apology from the alliance partners.

In a statement, Nagenthran said that Congress supporter Mohammed Rizvi, while addressing a joint RJD-Congress event, made offensive comments not only about the Prime Minister but also about his late mother, Heeraben Modi.

He termed the remarks as “an unacceptable insult to Indian culture and to the dignity of women.”

Nagenthran questioned the INDIA bloc’s silence over the issue.

“Is this the political culture of Congress and its allies -- to insult departed elders for political mileage? In Indian tradition, we revere the departed as divine. To demean an elderly woman, who is no longer alive, is shameful and condemnable,” he said.

He added that ridiculing a leader’s mother in the guise of political criticism reflected a cruel and inhuman attitude.

“By not condemning this, the INDIA bloc leaders have shown that they consider women weak and see no wrong in insulting them. If they cannot respect women, how will they protect the mothers and daughters of India?” he asked.

The BJP leader further said that Heeraben Modi was being demeaned only because she was the mother of a leader who rose from humble beginnings to global recognition.

“Is it a sin for a poor mother to give birth to a world-renowned leader like Narendra Modi? Should she be subjected to abuse for that?” he questioned.

Nagenthran asserted that the incident was not just an attack on the Prime Minister’s family but also an affront to the values of Bharat Mata.

“The INDIA bloc must apologise immediately, not just to the Prime Minister, but to every woman in this country,” he said.

On behalf of the BJP in Tamil Nadu, he demanded that leaders of the alliance express regret and tender an unconditional apology at the earliest.

--IANS

aal/dpb