New Delhi: While Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar is unapologetic over his remark on Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, his party has expressed its disapproval over the statement. "The party does not approve of the statement," Congress general secretary Ajay Maken, who is in charge of the media department said.
Aiyar on Friday had made controversial remarks against Modi saying that the party would welcome Modi to sell tea at AICC meetings. He had also mocked Modi's prime ministerial ambitions and said a place will be identified for the Gujarat Chief Minister to distribute tea here.
His remark has come under severe attack from BJP with the main opposition saying democracy would be strengthened if a former tea vendor succeeded in defeating dynastic politics. "It shows Congress's feudal mindset. BJP is a democratic party. Even a tea vendor can become the PM and a farmer can become the party president. In Congress, only a particular family has the right to the post of PM or it decides," BJP president Rajnath Singh had said.
While BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar described Aiyar as an "icon of cheap thinking", Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley tweeted, "the strength of Indian democracy will be proved when a former tea vendor defeats a dynasty representative. Let this be the battle of 2014."
Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal had earlier made similar remarks against Modi, saying a person who used to sell tea cannot have a national perspective.
"I promise you in 21st century Narendra Modi will never become the Prime Minister of the country. But if he wants to distribute tea here, we will find a place for him," Aiyar had said at the venue of the AICC meeting on Friday.
Aiyar's remarks came against the backdrop of Modi's reference to his own humble socio-economic background at rallies while targeting the Gandhi-Nehru family.
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