Bhopal: A war of words has erupted in Madhya Pradesh over Rahul Gandhi's 'PM means Panauti Modi' remark with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan hitting back at the Congress leader calling him "slow-witted" (mandbuddhi) and "a national shame".
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "The way Rahul Gandhi is expressing happiness over the team India's defeat in the World Cup 2023 and his statement comes within the limits of treason."
Shivraj dubbed Rahul Gandhi, a former Congress chief, as "a national shame". "There were tears in the eyes of the entire public and Rahul Gandhi was rejoicing the fact that Modi went there and the team lost," the Chief Minister added.
He said the country suffered a huge loss, but Rahul Gandhi got a chance to comment on Modiji. "There cannot be a greater example of stupidity than this. The people of the country and the people of Rajasthan will reply to both Rahul Gandhi and Congress," Chouhan, a senior BJP leader added.
"I have now come to the conclusion that Mahatma Gandhi had once said after independence that Congress should be abolished. Lok Sevak Sangh should be formed. (Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal) Nehru did not agree but with 'Rahul Baba' statements, it seems that Rahul Gandhi will completely finish the grand old party," added the 64-year-old Budhni-born Chouhan.
The first statement in Madhya Pradesh's on Rahul Gandhi's comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi came from BJP MP VD Sharma, who represents Khajuraho constituency.
VD Sharma dubbed Rahul Gandhi as "retarded". Expressing his objection to Rahul Gandhi's comment, he said that such a statement about the world's most popular leader and the country's Prime Minister is extremely objectionable.
On the other hand, Congress's Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh, defended Gandhi over his remark. In a post on X, Singh said the word 'Panauti' carries a negative meaning. "The word 'Panauti' is used for a person who brings misfortune or bad news to the people around him, that is why it is called a negative word. When some work remains incomplete then that person is called 'Panauti'," he said.
Singh said that as soon as the World Cup started, this word started trending on social media. "For whom was this word used? There were thousands of people at the stadium. Why did the BJP consider Modiji as 'Panauti'? For them, he is a world leader," he said.
