'Neech' remark row: BJP should improve their language, says Surjewala

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using objectionable language indiscriminately and asked them to improve their conduct.

The statement comes after BJP leader Amit Shah said Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's 'low-born' remark against Prime Minister Modi had resonated the culture of the Congress Party.

Claiming that the prime minister had crossed all limits, Surjewala told ANI, "The BJP and Prime Minister Modi have been using intemperate and objectionable language and sometimes downright filthy language for the Congress leadership and the Congress Party. Prime Minister Modi had crossed all limits when he tried to belittle, humiliate and berate."

Shah had tweeted, "Neither shocked nor surprised by Mani Shankar Aiyar's referring to PM as 'Neech.' This is the culture of the Congress Party. People of Gujarat will punish anti-poor, anti-Dalit, anti-Tribal and anti-OBC Congress."

Meanwhile, the Congress Party has suspended Mani Shankar Aiyar from the primary membership of the party, in the wake of his 'neech' remark sparking a controversy.

Surjewala, on Thursday, took to Twitter to apprise of the development.

To this end, he told ANI that Congress had a Gandhian culture and heritage, which is why party vice president Rahul Gandhi publically reprimanded and directed Aiyar to apologise to the prime minister for using unacceptable and unparliamentary language.

"We may oppose each other on policies and issues. But the balance of language, the gravitas of politics and the balance of culture, respect for opponent should never be lost," he said.

Asking the BJP and Prime Minister Modi to keep a check on their language, Surjewala added, "We hope Prime Minister Modi will now show the courage or conviction to take an action against his own party members and also looking within to improve his language and conduct."

Earlier in the day, Aiyar had told ANI that it was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who turned Dr Ambedkar's wish into reality and it was not correct to badmouth the Nehru-Gandhi family.

"This person [PM Modi] is a 'neech aadmi' (low-minded). He is not civilised and in a situation like this, there is no need to practice such dirty politics," Aiyar had said.

He later 'apologised' for calling Prime Minister Modi 'neech', saying he implied a different meaning for the word and denied calling the prime minister a 'Chaiwala'.