Latest Politics News

Congress suspends Mani Shankar Aiyar over his ‘neech aadmi’ jibe at Modi

Published

8 years ago

December 8, 2017

Congress suspends Mani Shankar Aiyar over his ‘neech aadmi’ jibe at Modi

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Congress leaders believe Aiyar’s comment has given the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi the much needed edge in Gujarat assembly polls

Struggling to undo the definite political damage that his ‘neech aadmi’ jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to cause the Congress party’s bid to a lead over the BJP in the upcoming Gujarat assembly polls, the Congress has suspended Mani Shankar Aiyar from the party’s primary membership.

The Congress party’s decision against its veteran leader and Nehru-Gandhi loyalist came late on Thursday night after desperate attempts by party vice president Rahul Gandhi and other leaders to distance themselves from Aiyar failed to check the BJP from launching an offensive. Aiyar’s convoluted apology over the remark which came only after a curt tweet by Rahul Gandhi asked him to do so had no effect on the BJP which zealously attacked the Congress for a remark which it claimed was “filthy, classist and derogatory”.

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Aiyar’s comment comes as just the kind of ammunition that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP would have hoped to attack the Congress with at a time when the Grand Old Party seemed to be making definite strides towards regaining political ground in Gujarat, a state where the saffron party has ruled for nearly 22 consecutive years.

The Congress, according to some opinion polls, was steadily reviving its electoral fortunes in the state and was pegged to give the BJP a tough fight in the battle for Gujarat. However, Aiyar’s statement comes as the third major gaffe by Congress leaders with regard to the Gujarat.

First, the Twitter handle of Yuva Desh, a magazine published by the youth wing of the Congress party had put out a meme mocking Narendra Modi for his ‘chaiwala’ past. The BJP has pounced on the opportunity and claimed that it reflected the Congress’ disgust for the poor. The Congress promptly withdrew the meme and issued an apology.

Then, just as the storm over the tweet seemed to be over, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal appeared in the Supreme Court on behalf of a petitioner in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi title suit and demanded that the top court postpone its hearing of the controversial case till July 2019 – something that the Supreme Court stridently denied even as it adjourned the matter till February 8. Modi immediately lapped up Sibal’s comments and told the Gujarat electorate that the Congress leader was acting on behalf of his party and its vice president Rahul Gandhi to delay a settlement on the Ram Mandir issue, while claiming that the Sunni Waqf Board that Sibal was appearing on behalf of had claimed that it did not ask the lawyer to demand postponement of the hearing. Modi even congratulated the Sunni Waqf Board for its stand on Sibal.

As Sibal was busy clarifying that he had not appeared on behalf of the Sunni Waqf Board but for a private petitioner in the case and that he was not acting on behalf of the Congress party but as a professional lawyer, Aiyar launched his ‘neech aadmi’ broadside at Modi.

Expectedly, all hell broke loose over Aiyar’s statement. It made matters worse that Aiyar is the same Congress leader who had in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign derided Modi for his ‘chaiwala’ past – his comments were seen among the key reasons that propelled the Congress to its historic defeat in the general elections.

Unfortunately for the Congress, Aiyar’s comments have come at a time when his party will have little opportunity of changing the narrative that Modi and the BJP have now taken the Gujarat election campaign to – that of the Congress being classist and anti-poor. Aiyar made the obnoxious statement on the last day of campaigning for the first phase of the Gujarat polls. This means that it could have significant adverse impact not only in the voting pattern for the first phase of the state election, due on Saturday, but also become the dominant campaign issue for the BJP and Modi in the run up to the second phase polling that is scheduled for December 14.

Rahul Gandhi, who is leading his party’s campaign against the BJP in Gujarat, is desperately trying to carry on with the narrative he had sought to build for his party’s campaign against the BJP in the state. He is posing hard questions at the state of Gujarat’s poor, unemployment in the state, farmers’ concerns, autocratic rule of Modi and Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and a host of other issues. But given Modi’s expertise in giving even the most obtuse comments of the Congress – irrespective of apologies over them being issued by the Grand Old Party – a spin, often a communally divisive one which benefits the BJP, it seems that the Congress has handed over victory to the BJP once again in the state.

The situation, as Congress leaders admit unofficially, is akin to the row kicked up by Modi when Congress president Sonia Gandhi had called him a ‘maut ka saudagar’ in the Gujarat election campaign a decade ago while attacking the then Gujarat chief minister for his alleged role in the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

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PM Modi accuses Congress of anti-Sikh bias over Rahul Gandhi’s ‘traitor’ remark

Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Rahul Gandhi of targeting BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu with a ‘gaddar’ remark because of his Sikh identity while speaking in the Rajya Sabha.

Published

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February 5, 2026

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, alleging that his “traitor” remark against BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu reflected the Congress party’s animosity towards the Sikh community.

The Prime Minister made the remarks in the Rajya Sabha while replying to the motion of thanks on the President’s address. Referring to an incident in the Parliament complex a day earlier, Modi said Gandhi’s comment had crossed all limits of political decency.

The controversy stems from a protest by suspended Opposition MPs, during which Ravneet Singh Bittu — a former Congress leader who joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections — allegedly made a remark suggesting the protesters were behaving as if they had won a war.

In response, Rahul Gandhi was heard saying, “A traitor is walking by, look at his face,” before approaching Bittu and extending his hand. Gandhi then reportedly added, “Hello, brother. My traitor friend. Don’t worry, you will come back.”

Bittu refused to shake hands with the Congress leader and instead described him as an “enemy of the country” before walking away from the scene.

While the Congress later clarified that Gandhi’s remark was aimed at Bittu for leaving the party, the BJP seized upon the comment, calling it an insult to the Sikh community. Protests were subsequently held by members of the Sikh community outside the Congress headquarters and at other locations.

Addressing the House, Prime Minister Modi said that many leaders had quit the Congress in the past and that the party itself had split multiple times, but none of those leaders had been labelled a traitor. “He called this MP a traitor because he is Sikh,” the Prime Minister alleged, as treasury bench members raised slogans condemning the remark.

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PM Modi skips Lok Sabha reply as protests force repeated adjournments

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not deliver his scheduled reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha today after sustained Opposition protests led to multiple adjournments of the House.

The disruption followed an escalation of tensions linked to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s proposed speech and the suspension of eight Opposition MPs a day earlier. The situation worsened after remarks made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey during the proceedings.

Dispute over references to books sparks fresh ruckus

The controversy intensified when Nishikant Dubey responded to Rahul Gandhi’s demand to speak on national security and references to the unpublished memoirs of former Army chief General MM Naravane. Dubey said that while Gandhi wanted to quote from an unpublished book, he himself had brought several books that, according to him, made claims about the Gandhi family.

As Dubey began listing these books and their contents, strong protests erupted from Opposition members. Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was presiding over the House at the time, cited Rule 349, which restricts members from reading out books, newspapers, or letters unless directly related to parliamentary business. Despite repeated warnings, the matter remained unresolved, leading to another adjournment.

Rahul Gandhi accuses government of silencing debate

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi alleged that he was being prevented from speaking on an issue of national importance. He claimed the government was uncomfortable with references to General Naravane’s memoirs, which he said discussed the handling of the 2020 China border crisis.

In a social media post, Gandhi said he intended to present the Prime Minister with a book authored by the former Army chief, adding that some cabinet ministers had even questioned the existence of the book. He also wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the suspension of eight Opposition MPs, alleging that parliamentary debate was being curtailed.

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Proceedings disrupted throughout the day

Lok Sabha proceedings were first adjourned until 2 pm amid loud protests over the issue linked to Naravane’s memoirs. Even after the House reconvened, disruptions continued, preventing normal business from resuming.

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President’s Rule revoked in Manipur as NDA set to form new government

President’s Rule has been withdrawn in Manipur nearly a year after its imposition, paving the way for a new NDA-led government under Yumnam Khemchand Singh.

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President’s Rule has been revoked in Manipur nearly a year after it was imposed, clearing the way for the formation of a new government led by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The decision came hours before the scheduled oath ceremony of the new council of ministers.

Chief minister-designate Yumnam Khemchand Singh is set to take oath later this evening, along with other NDA legislators who will formally join the new government. The revocation brings an end to central rule that had been in place since February 2025, following the resignation of then chief minister N Biren Singh.

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During the period of President’s Rule, the Manipur Legislative Assembly remained in suspended animation, meaning it was neither functioning nor dissolved. With the restoration of the elected government, legislative activity is expected to resume.

Khemchand Singh, 61, belongs to the Meitei community. Two deputy chief ministers have been named to reflect Manipur’s ethnic diversity. Nemcha Kipgen, from the Kuki community, and Losii Dikho, from the Naga community, are set to take charge as deputy chief ministers.

According to people with direct knowledge of the matter, Nemcha Kipgen is likely to take oath from a Manipur government guesthouse in Delhi.

Key portfolios and leadership choices

Seven-time MLA from Bishnupur district, Govindas Konthoujam, said he has been entrusted with the Home portfolio. Emphasising stability and law and order, he said he remains committed to serving the state with discipline and restraint.

Sources said Khemchand Singh is viewed within the party as a non-polarising leader who is acceptable across internal factions at a time of political transition. While he is yet to be tested in governance, he is seen as a steady administrative choice capable of providing organisational discipline and continuity amid uncertainty.

Uneasy peace continues in Manipur

The formation of the new government comes against the backdrop of continued tension in Manipur, nearly three years after violence erupted between the Meitei community in the valley areas and the Kuki tribes in several hill districts.

A section of Kuki groups has been demanding a separate administrative arrangement, with negotiations involving multiple insurgent groups operating under two umbrella organisations that are signatories to the suspension of operations agreement.

In recent weeks, some Kuki civil society organisations have stated they would not participate in the Manipur government and have distanced themselves from Kuki MLAs expected to join the new administration.

A day before the announcement of the new government, Kuki leader Paolienlal Haokip posted on X that representatives of the Kuki Zo people could not take part in leadership selection without justice and a written commitment for political settlement.

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Meitei civil society groups have maintained that all internally displaced persons should be allowed to return home safely, even as dialogue continues. However, Kuki leaders have insisted that a political solution in the form of a separate administration must come first, before discussions on rehabilitation and return from relief camps.

Meitei leaders have countered this position, arguing that the demand reflects an ethnocentric territorial claim and that humanitarian issues should be addressed alongside negotiations, as no area is exclusively inhabited by a single community.