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

Published

8 years ago

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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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Renaming MGNREGA removes core spirit of rural employment law, says Shashi Tharoor

Published

2 days ago

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December 19, 2025

By

Shashi Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has strongly criticised the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), saying the move strips the rural employment programme of its core essence. His remarks came after Parliament cleared the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, also referred to as the VB-G RAM G Bill.

Speaking to media, Tharoor said the decision to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme “takes out the heart” of the rural employment programme that has been in place for years. He noted that the identity and philosophy associated with Mahatma Gandhi were central to the original law.

Tharoor also objected to the way the new name was framed, arguing that it unnecessarily combined multiple languages. He pointed out that the Constitution envisages the use of one language in legislation, while the Bill’s title mixes English and Hindi terms such as “Guarantee”, “Rozgar” and “Ajeevika”, along with the conjunction “and”.

‘Disrespect to both names’

The Congress leader said that inserting the word “Ram” while dropping Mahatma Gandhi’s name amounted to disrespecting both. Referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas, Tharoor said that for Gandhi, the concepts of Gram Swaraj and Ram Rajya were inseparable, and removing his name from a rural employment law went against that vision.

He added that the name of Lord Ram could be used in many contexts, but questioned the rationale behind excluding Mahatma Gandhi from a programme closely linked to his philosophy of village self-rule.

Protests over passage of the Bill

The VB-G RAM G Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 18 and cleared by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of December 19 amid protests from Opposition members. Several MPs opposed the manner in which the legislation was pushed through, with scenes of sloganeering and tearing of papers in the House.

Outside Parliament, members of the Trinamool Congress staged a sit-in protest near Samvidhan Sadan against the passage of the Bill. Congress also announced nationwide protests earlier this week, accusing the government of weakening rights-based welfare schemes.

Despite opposition criticism, the government has maintained that the new law will strengthen rural employment and livelihood security. The Bill raises the guaranteed employment from 100 days to 125 days per rural household and outlines a 60:40 cost-sharing formula between the Centre and states, with a higher central share for northeastern, Himalayan states and certain Union Territories.

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India News

Rahul Gandhi attacks G RAM G bill, says move against villages and states

Rahul Gandhi has criticised the G RAM G bill cleared by Parliament, alleging it dilutes the rights-based structure of MGNREGA and centralises control over rural employment.

Published

2 days ago

on

December 19, 2025

By

Rahul Gandhi

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has launched a sharp attack on the Modi government after Parliament cleared the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural) Bill, commonly referred to as the ‘G RAM G’ bill. He described the proposed law as “anti-state” and “anti-village”, arguing that it weakens the core spirit of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The new legislation, which is positioned as an updated version of MGNREGA, was passed amid protests by opposition parties and is expected to replace the existing scheme once it receives presidential assent.

‘Bulldozed without scrutiny’, says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi criticised the manner in which the bill was cleared, saying it was pushed through Parliament without adequate debate or examination. He pointed out that the opposition’s demand to refer the bill to a standing committee was rejected.

According to him, any law that fundamentally alters the rural employment framework and affects crores of workers should undergo detailed scrutiny, expert consultation and public hearings before approval.

Claim of dilution of rights-based guarantee

Targeting the central government, the Congress leader said the proposed law dismantles the rights-based and demand-driven nature of MGNREGA and replaces it with a rationed system controlled from Delhi. He argued that this shift undermines the autonomy of states and villages.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that the intent behind the move is to centralise power and weaken labour, particularly impacting rural communities such as Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis.

Defence of MGNREGA’s impact

Highlighting the role of MGNREGA, Gandhi said the scheme provided rural workers with bargaining power, reduced distress migration and improved wages and working conditions, while also contributing to rural infrastructure development.

He also recalled the role of MGNREGA during the Covid period, stating that it prevented crores of people from slipping into hunger and debt. According to him, any rationing of a jobs programme first affects women, landless workers and the poorest communities.

Opposition to name change and provisions

The Congress has also objected to the renaming of the scheme, accusing the government of attempting to erase the legacy associated with Mahatma Gandhi. Opposition MPs staged a dharna within the Parliament complex, questioning provisions of the bill that they claim dilute the “soul and spirit” of the original law enacted in 2005.

Under MGNREGA, the government guaranteed 100 days of work in rural areas along with an unemployment allowance if work was not provided. The ‘G RAM G’ bill proposes to raise the guaranteed workdays to 125, while retaining other provisions. However, critics have flagged concerns over employment being linked to pre-approved plans.

The bill was cleared after a midnight voice vote in the Rajya Sabha, following its passage in the Lok Sabha amid protests and walkouts. It will become law once approved by the President.

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AAP dominates Punjab zila parishad polls, leads in most panchayat samiti zones

AAP has won 201 out of 317 declared zila parishad zones in Punjab so far and is leading in a majority of panchayat samiti seats, with counting still underway.

Published

3 days ago

on

December 18, 2025

By

Punjab Zila Parishad Polls

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has recorded a strong performance in the Punjab zila parishad elections and is leading in the majority of panchayat samiti zones, as per results declared so far on Thursday. The counting process is still underway and complete results are awaited, officials said.

Polling for the rural local bodies was held on December 14 to elect representatives across 347 zones of 22 zila parishads and 2,838 zones of 153 panchayat samitis in the state.

AAP secures clear edge in zila parishads

According to the available results, outcomes have been declared for 317 zila parishad zones so far. Of these, the AAP has won 201 zones, placing it well ahead of other parties.

The Congress emerged second with victories in 60 zones, followed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with 39 zones. The BJP won four zones, the BSP secured three, while independents claimed 10 zones.

District-wise data shows that the AAP won 22 zones in Hoshiarpur, 19 each in Amritsar and Patiala, 17 each in Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur, and 15 zones in Sangrur. The Congress registered its best performances in Gurdaspur and Ludhiana with eight zones each, followed by Jalandhar with seven zones. The SAD performed strongly in Bathinda with 13 zones, while the BJP managed to win four zones in Pathankot.

AAP leads in panchayat samiti results

In the panchayat samiti elections, trends declared so far indicate that the AAP is leading in a majority of zones. However, officials clarified that counting is ongoing and the final picture will be clear only after all ballot papers are tallied.

Kejriwal, Mann reject opposition allegations

Reacting to the trends, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said the party’s performance reflected strong rural support for the Bhagwant Mann government’s work. Addressing the media in Mohali along with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Kejriwal dismissed allegations of irregularities raised by opposition parties.

He said the elections were conducted in a fair and free manner and claimed that the results so far showed a clear wave in favour of the AAP in rural Punjab. Kejriwal stated that nearly 70 per cent of the zila parishad and panchayat samiti seats had gone in favour of the party.

Congress, SAD question poll conduct

The Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal, however, accused the ruling party of misusing official machinery. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring alleged that the AAP had “stolen” the rural mandate and claimed that the results did not reflect genuine public support.

Opposition parties had earlier also accused the AAP government of high-handedness during the polling process, allegations that the ruling party has strongly denied.

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