Nashik: Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Tuesday sparked a political controversy after making objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi while criticising the Centre's foreign policy and relations with neighbouring countries.
Addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Nashik, Sapkal alleged that India's relations with countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Iran had deteriorated under the Modi government, affecting onion exports.
"India's onion decides global prices of onions. In the past some time, Modi has spoiled relations with Bangladesh and they have stopped buying our onions. The same thing happened with Sri Lanka and Iran also, they are not purchasing our onions. Modi has spoiled relations with all our neighbours and friendly countries and until this 'Daridra' PM is in office, no country is ready to import our onions," he said.
In another remark during his speech, the Congress leader used objectionable language while referring to the Prime Minister and criticised the government over fuel exports to Bangladesh.
"Here we are daily in queues for diesel and there Modi is sending lakhs of litre of diesel and petrol to Bangladesh. This idiot, it would not be right to say so but I will still say that this 'idiot Modi' must tell Bangladesh that if you want diesel, you must purchase our onions but he is not doing so," he said.
This is not the first instance of Congress leaders drawing controversy over remarks against Prime Minister Modi. Earlier this month, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai was booked for allegedly making abusive remarks against the Prime Minister. Following an FIR against him over alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai dismissed it as an "AI-generated" video circulating on social media.
Speaking to ANI, Rai said that he would not back down and Congress will file a counter case. He also alleged that a Dalit girl was raped in Mahoba and called for justice.
He said, "That Dalit girl from Mahoba should get justice. File not 10 but 100 cases against me. We will not back down. This was an AI-generated video. Our workers will definitely file a case too."
