The Congress on Wednesday said it is wrong to think that "Narendra Modi is India and India is Narendra Modi", as it lashed out at the BJP for criticising leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his 'Narendra-surrender' jibe.
Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera claimed that Gandhi's "Narender...surrender" remarks encapsulated how the prime minister has repeatedly surrendered India's national interests, when it was required to show the requisite deft and 'vishwaguru' status.
"The BJP people were making a film for their hero for the last 11 years -- 'Muqaddar Ka Sikandar'. But when the film was ready, it turned out to be 'Narender Ka Surrender'. Actually, there is no injection of bravery, but it is in-built in the character of a person. The history of BJP-RSS people has been of cowardice," he alleged while addressing a news conference at the Congress' Indira Gandhi Bhawan headquarters in New Delhi.
Khera alleged that in the last few years, there has been anti-India sentiment in Nepal, resulting in the country moving closer to China, whereas this was not the case 10 years ago. “If this is not a surrender policy, then what is it?"
"Narendra Modi could not stop the IMF loan (to Pakistan). The same ADB bank chief who met Narendra Modi on June 1 gave Pakistan 800 million dollars on June 3," Khera said.
"The situation has become such that when they (government) talk about China they give them a clean chit ....they are unable to take China's name and make fun of the looks of the people of North-East and insult Lord Ganesha. It is said that Ganesh ji's eyes are small and they do not open. Why does Narendra Modi not make a policy that goods will not be purchased from China?" Khera said.
His remarks come a day after Gandhi said in Bhopal that "as soon as Trump signalled from there, picked up the phone and said, 'what are you doing Modi ji? Narender, surrender'...and Modi ji obeyed Trump's orders with 'Ji Huzoor'." Calling on people to remember 1971, Gandhi said that back then a phone call had not come but the US had sent its 7th fleet, weapons, and an aircraft carrier, but Indira Gandhi didn't surrender and said she would go by national interest.
India is Indira and Indira is India. It was said in 1974 by the then President of the Indian ational Congress DK Barooah (also written as Baruah). The statement, which was meant to show Barooah’s loyalty for the PM, was criticised by the opposition as sycophancy.
The BJP accused Gandhi of insulting the armed forces with his "surrender" barb at Prime Minister Modi, saying that it amounted to undermining the success of Operation Sindoor.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla posted on X, calling Gandhi a “Global Blunder” and labelled him “Pakistan ka Boy Wonder.”
BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Congress leader has surpassed even the Pakistani army chief, its prime minister and terrorist masterminds based there in speaking in support of the neighbouring country.
Hitting back at the BJP, Khera said, "When the brave Indian Army had Pakistan on its knees, Trump called and Narendra Modi surrendered. Trump said many times that we got the ceasefire done by threatening with trade, but Narendra Modi has not replied to Trump till date." "He will not even answer, because name is Narender, work is surrender – this is the reality and truth," Khera alleged.
US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims – 11 in 21 days – that the US intervened between India and Pakistan to "broker a ceasefire" has shown how Modi government "surrendered" India’s interests, "admonished" India’s long-standing stand in the Shimla Agreement, hyphenated India and Pakistan, allowing the US to even talk about talks at a ‘neutral site’, Khera alleged.
"We ask the Prem Chopra of rallies, why doesn't he give a reply to Donald Trump (on his claims). If you don't have the guts to answer him why don't you answer us, those who ask questions are labelled as speaking in the language of Pakistan," Khera said.
"So do not think that Narendra Modi is India and India is Narendra Modi. It is wrong to thinks so. Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of the country, but he is not the country," Khera said, slamming the BJP criticism.
Khera alleged that Modi had taken training from actor Paresh Rawal in mouthing dialogues and speeches.