Congress to defend Rahul, tells EC nothing wrong in words ‘Panauti’, ‘Jebkatra’

The word 'Panauti' came from the crowd and Rahul Gandhi merely repeated it without naming anyone, writes ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi:The Congress on Thursday said there was nothing wrong in Rahul Gandhi’s utterances of terms like “Panauti” and “Jebkatra”, allegedly in reference to PM Modi. “We will give a proper response to the EC notice,” Congress media head Pawan Khera told ETV Bharat. The party’s reaction came soon after the Election Commission sent a notice to Rahul Gandhi asking him to appear before the panel on November 25 and explain his alleged remarks made during the recent poll speeches in Rajasthan. The EC notice was based on a complaint filed by the BJP, which was riled over the Congress leader’s remarks.

While ‘Panauti’ is a general reference in Hindi to a person, who brings bad news, ‘Jebkatra’ is a reference to a pickpocket. “There is nothing wrong in the usage of the two words by Rahul Gandhi. The word Panauti came from the crowd and he merely repeated it without naming anyone. There were thousands of people in the stadium where the Cricket World Cup match was being played in Ahmedabad. So, it is a very vague charge that it was used for the PM,” a Congress Working Committee member said.

“Jebkatra again is part of an analogy, which is commonly used to explain something. Again, Rahul Gandhi took no names directly,” he said. The two points would form the basis of Rahul Gandhi’s response to the EC notice, said party insiders, adding that the former party chief was unlikely to appear in person before the poll panel and a suitable reply would be submitted by his lawyers.

According to Khera, “In the past senior BJP leaders used foul terms to defame our leader like "Rahu Kaal" by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, “Moorkhon ka Sardar" by PM Modi and similar words by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. When PM Modi makes such a reference, it becomes a jibe and when Rahul Gandhi says something it becomes an insult. That cannot be. One person’s jibe cannot be another person’s insult.”

Congress social media head Supriya Shrinate the BJP had no reason to get upset over the word ‘Panauti’ as the saffron party had spent thousands of crores to defame Rahul Gandhi over the past nine years. “Where were those people, who were getting angry over the word Panauti when thousands of crores of rupees were spent on campaigns to defame Rahul Gandhi? Parts of his speeches were cut and misused. Why don’t the same people get angry when PM Modi calls an opposition leader a “leader of fools.”

The word ‘Panauti’ is not our word, it has been given by the public. But, the issue is why do people think of PM Modi whenever a reference to someone, who makes tall and hollow promises or to the word 'Panauti' is made, Shrinate said. “Recently, BJP leader Amit Malviya tweeted a picture of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and used the word 'Panauti' in reference to former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi. Why were the same people not angry then,” she said.