Whether Narendra Modi’s remarks on Priyanka Gandhi were edited?
NEW DELHI : The Congress had an acerbic response to Narendra Modi reportedly stating that he thinks of Priyanka Gandhi “like his daughter.” Finance Minister P Chidambaram said, “I am happy Modi considers Priyanka Gandhi as his daughter, I am not sure if she will be happy to consider Modi as a father figure.”
The Times of India reports today that remarks on Priyanka by Mr Modi, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, were edited out in an interview that aired on Sunday on national broadcaster Doordarshan. The newspaper quotes an unnamed source as saying, “As a measure of abundant caution it was decided to edit out the part where Modi refused to attack Priyanka Gandhi in response to a question, saying she was like his daughter and not a political rival like her mother, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi.”
In the last few days, Priyanka has delivered an aggressive assault on Mr Modi, who has alleged at election rallies that her husband, Robert Vadra, benefited from sweetheart deals in states like Haryana, where the Congress is in power. Priyanka’s mother Sonia is the Congress president; her brother, Rahul, is the party’s No 2 and is fronting its election campaign.
Amid predictions of the BJP’s strongest ever performance under Mr Modi and a Congress wipe-out, Priyanka, 42, has resolutely and publicly challenged his credentials, accusing him of double-speak on women’s safety and of promoting in crony capitalism in Gujarat, where he is serving his first term as chief minister.Priyanka is not running for Parliament; she is managing the campaigns of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in their constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. But her willingness to take Mr Modi on has resuscitated what many felt was an uninspired Congress campaign.
Recently, Mr Modi said in an interview that it was “natural for a daughter and sister to defend her mother and brother”.
