Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley on Thursday criticised Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal for his 'tea seller can't be PM' remark on BJP prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
On Wednesday, Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal had said that a person who used to sell tea cannot have a national perspective.
"Narendra Modi wants to become a PM. Someone rising from a tea shop can never have a national perspective. Like, if you make a 'sipahi' (constable) as 'kaptan' (Superintendent of Police) he can never have an SP's approach, but will have that of a constable," Agarwal said controversially.
In response, Jaitley said: "Shri Naresh Aggarwal is a Samajwadi party member of the Rajya Sabha. I have seen him acquire the membership of four different political parties during the past few years. He serves them all with equal conviction.
"Yesterday he asserted that Narendra Modi is unfit to become a Prime Minister, since he started his career as a tea vendor. Surely, this statement coming from, a 'Samajwadi' is surprising," he added.
"Samajwad' stands for equality and equity. It represents equal opportunity," Jaitley said further.